Category Archives: Reference

No Subject is Too Petty for an Etymologist, Or, Pets from North to South

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly explores the origins of the word ‘pet.’ Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Lexicography, O Rahilly, O'Rahilly, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Skeat, Uncategorized, Vendryes, Weekley, etymology, pet | Leave a comment

Nine Words You Might Think Came from Science but Which Are Really from Science Fiction??

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Rebecca

Jeff Prucher looks at words that come from science fiction. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Editor's Picks, A-Featured, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Reference, Science, Uncategorized, brave new words, jeff prucher, language, literature, oed, science fiction | Leave a comment

Oxford’s Word Window: Week Five

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Rebecca

The word of the week is…. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Current Events, Dictionaries, Oxford, Reference, Uncategorized, madison ave, oed, window, word | Leave a comment

10 Literary Terms You Might Not Know

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Megan

The top 10 hard-to-define literary terms. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Baldick, Chris, Dictionaries, Oxford, Reference, Uncategorized, chris baldick, dictionary, literary, literary terms, literature, of, oxford dictionary of literary terms, terms, top 10 | Leave a comment

War of the Thesauri

Posted on March 26, 2009 by Rebecca

Do thesauruses fight? Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Education, Lexicography, Reference, Uncategorized, ammon shea, dictionary, fight, literature, oed, thesaurus | Leave a comment

Monthly Gleanings: March 2009

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly answers questions about word origins. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, Wagenseil, etymology, ghetto, shakespeare, tolkien | Leave a comment

Oxford’s Word Window: Week Four

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Rebecca

The word in our window this week is… Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Current Events, Dictionaries, Oxford University Press, Reference, Uncategorized, definition, dictionary, mondegreen, oed, rashomon, window | Leave a comment

Spacemen and Anonymuncles Attack! Old Words for Writers

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Cassie

Mark Peters resurrects some old words to describe writers. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Lexicography, Reference, Uncategorized, Writing, anonymuncle, authorling, spacemen, words, writers | Leave a comment

Beating About the Gooseberry Bush

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Marc

Anatoly explores the origins of the word ‘gooseberry,’ and its related phrases. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, DAISY, Dictionaries, Lexicography, Oxford Etymologist, Reference, Uncategorized, daisy picker, etymology, fool, gooseberry, origins, picker, word, word origins | Leave a comment

Oxford’s Word Window: Week Three

Posted on March 16, 2009 by Rebecca

This week’s word is: Rashomon. Continue reading →

Posted in A-Featured, Dictionaries, Media, Oneiric, Oxford, Reference, Uncategorized, oed, quiddity, rashomon, words | Leave a comment