The Meaning of Everything: the Story of the Oxford English Dictionary.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, November, 2004
THE MEANING OF EVERYTHING: THE STORY OF THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY. By SIMON WINCHESTER. Oxford University Press. 304pp. $25.
After Mr. Winchester had written the best-selling The Professor and the Madman, the remarkable story of how an imprisoned murderer helped James Murray edit the Oxford English Dictionary, he obviously had all kinds of unused material left over. The Meaning of Everything is not as gripping a tale, but it is a very readable light history of the OED from its nineteenthcentury beginnings up to its present state of open-ended revision and expansion. This is a book to be relished by lovers of words. And one comes away from it with enhanced admiration for James Murray, who, as a good Calvinist, had no doubt about his being predestined to...
Most Recent Reference Articles
- ARAB EUROPEAN RELATIONS - Dec 22 - Russia Denies Selling Missile System To Iran
- EGYPT - Dec 29 - Opposition Says Mubarak Blessed Israeli Attacks
- ARAB AFFAIRS - Dec 22 - Syria Will Eventually Move To Direct Talks With Israel
- ARAB AFFAIRS - Dec 30 - GCC Denounces Massacre
- ARAB ISRAELI RELATIONS - Israel Issues An Appeal To Palestinians In Gaza
Most Recent Reference Publications
Most Popular Reference Articles
- Credit card debt on college campuses: causes, consequences, and solutions
- The Greek chorus, Jimmy the Greek got it wrong but so did his critics - Jimmy Snyder and his views on pro sports and race
- 9 questions to ask your new lover: what you were afraid to ask, but always wanted to know
- How Tyler Perry rose from homelessness to a $5 million mansion
- Living by the word
Presented by the Premiere Rewards Gold Card from American Express