The word detective: A life in words from serendipity to selfie / John Simpson
Simpson, John
The word detective: A life in words from serendipity to selfie / John Simpson - New York : abacus, c2016. - xvi, 366 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm.
Includes index.
Introduction: the background to the case
Serendipity, perhaps
Lexicography 101
Marshallers of words
The longest way round
Uneasy skanking
Shark-infested waters
OED redux
The tunnel and the vision
Gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk
At the top of the crazy tree
Shenanigans online
Flavour of the month
Becoming the past
In The Word Detective, an intensely personal memoir and a joyful celebration of English, Simpson weaves a story of how words come into being (and sometimes disappear), how cultures shape the language we use, and how we cope when words fail us. Throughout, he enlivens his narrative with lively excavations and investigations of individual words -- from deadline to online and back to 101 (yes, it's a word) -- all the while reminding us that the seemingly mundane words (can you name the four different meanings of ma?) are often the most interesting ones. A brilliant expedition through the world of words, The Word Detective will delight, inspire, and educate any lover of language.
978-0-349-14100-8
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES.
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY.
SIMPSON, J. A., 1953-.
LEXICOGRAPHES GRANDE-BRETAGNE BIOGRAPHIES.
LEXICOGRAPHERS GREAT BRITAIN BIOGRAPHY.
LEXICOGRAPHERS.
GREAT BRITAIN.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEXICOGRAPHY.
BIOGRAPHIES.
PE 64 S56 2016
The word detective: A life in words from serendipity to selfie / John Simpson - New York : abacus, c2016. - xvi, 366 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm.
Includes index.
Introduction: the background to the case
Serendipity, perhaps
Lexicography 101
Marshallers of words
The longest way round
Uneasy skanking
Shark-infested waters
OED redux
The tunnel and the vision
Gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk
At the top of the crazy tree
Shenanigans online
Flavour of the month
Becoming the past
In The Word Detective, an intensely personal memoir and a joyful celebration of English, Simpson weaves a story of how words come into being (and sometimes disappear), how cultures shape the language we use, and how we cope when words fail us. Throughout, he enlivens his narrative with lively excavations and investigations of individual words -- from deadline to online and back to 101 (yes, it's a word) -- all the while reminding us that the seemingly mundane words (can you name the four different meanings of ma?) are often the most interesting ones. A brilliant expedition through the world of words, The Word Detective will delight, inspire, and educate any lover of language.
978-0-349-14100-8
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES.
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY.
SIMPSON, J. A., 1953-.
LEXICOGRAPHES GRANDE-BRETAGNE BIOGRAPHIES.
LEXICOGRAPHERS GREAT BRITAIN BIOGRAPHY.
LEXICOGRAPHERS.
GREAT BRITAIN.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEXICOGRAPHY.
BIOGRAPHIES.
PE 64 S56 2016
