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Meaning of Everything: Story of Oxford English Dictionary Simon Winchester New
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- Buy It NowMeaning of Everything: Story of Oxford English Dictionary Simon Winchester New
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eBay item number:115994598691
Item specifics
- Condition
- Type
- Narrative History
- Original Language
- English
- Book Series
- Historical
- Intended Audience
- Young Adults, Adults
- ISBN
- 9780195175004
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10
019517500X
ISBN-13
9780195175004
eBay Product ID (ePID)
13038298498
Product Key Features
Book Title
Meaning of Everything : the Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
Number of Pages
288 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Lexicography, Literary, Europe / Great Britain / General, European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
Publication Year
2004
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Literary Criticism, Language Arts & Disciplines, Biography & Autobiography, History
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
0.6 in
Item Weight
10.6 Oz
Item Length
5.3 in
Item Width
7.9 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
Reviews
"The extraordinary story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary is a subject perfectly suited to Winchester's magpie mind.... Winchester's book is not just an entertaining crib for a certain kind of trivial pursuit. It can be recommended in all seriousness to committed Scrabbleplayers. Here, for instance, you will learn that the first edition closed with the definition of 'zyxt,' a Kentish dialect word for the past participle of the verb 'to see.' Here, too, you will find words like 'aa,' an obsolete term for a stream or watercourse. Winchester's account is anaffectionate and frankly partisan study of the making of a great dictionary. It is also an offbeat portrait of an extraordinary society."--Robert McCrumm, Los Angeles Times, "Winchester's book is a wonderfully thorough account of the mechanics of dictionary compilation, the tribulations of a project of this scale, and the array of brilliant and often eccentric characters who brought it to completion."--The Dallas Morning News, "A magnificent account, swift and compelling, of obsession, scholarship,and ultimately, philanthropy of the first magnitude."--Kirkus Review (starredreview), "An entertaining history of the creation of one of the landmarks of linguistic scholarship, the mammoth OED, with fascinating portraits of the editors, drudges and occasional cranks who helped write definitions, track down etymologies and search out historical quotations."--San Jose MercuryNews, "Winchester's book is a wonderfully thorough account of the mechanics of dictionary compilation, the tribulations of a project of this scale, and the array of brilliant and often eccentric characters who brought it to completion."--The Dallas Morning News"Full of engaging characters and incidents."--Wall Street Journal"As inspiring as it is informative. A dazzling detective story and a poignant group portrait. A must-read for every language lover."--Seattle Times"Devastatingly brilliant.... Fascinating, witty, extremely well-written.... Winchester makes words exciting. He obviously loves them."--The Boston Globe"The extraordinary story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary is a subject perfectly suited to Winchester's magpie mind.... It can be recommended in all seriousness to committed Scrabble players. Here, for instance, you will learn that the first edition closed with the definition of 'zyxt,' a Kentish dialect word for the past participle of the verb 'to see.' Here, too, you will find words like 'aa,' an obsolete term for a stream or watercourse. An affectionate and frankly partisan study of the making of a great dictionary."--Robert McCrumm, Los Angeles Times"Winchester has no peer at illuminating massive and complex endeavors through the quirks and foibles of the brilliant and powerful personalities who carry them out."--Chicago Sun Times"Winchester tells the story with great verve in an easy-going, anecdotal style that's delectably readable."--Christian Science Monitor"Fascinatingly told. Winchester brings to life the trials and tribulations of creating the OED, particularly the never-dull personalities of those who were involved. Moreover, he delightfully, admiringly gives us an appreciation of the wonderfully adaptive, ever-expanding English language."--Forbes Magazine"Supremely readable. Teeming with knowledge and alive with insights."--William F. Buckley, The New York Times Book Review"Entrancing.... An engaging read...resonates with all the chauvinism and misgiving, the self-congratulation and self-doubt that emerge when we think about our language."--Chicago Tribune, "In this New York Times Notable Book of the Year, acclaimed author Winchester traces the development of the Oxford English Dictionary, paying tribute to the English language and those who elucidate it."--Cleveland Plain Dealer, "With his usual winning blend of scholarship and accessible, skillfullypaced narrative, Winchester returns to the subject of his first bestseller, TheProfessor and the Madman, to tell the eventful, personality-filled history ofthe definitive English dictionary.... Winchester successfully brings us insidethe day-to-day operations of the massive project and shows us the unrelentingpassion of people such as Murray and his overworked, underpaid staff who, in theend, succeeded magnificently. Winchester's book will be required reading forword mavens and anyone interested in the history of our marvelous, ever-changinglanguage."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), "A powerfully inspiring account of what it took to assemble the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary."--Seattle Times, "Winchester's book is a wonderfully thorough account of the mechanics of dictionary compilation, the tribulations of a project of this scale, and the array of brilliant and often eccentric characters who brought it to completion."-- The Dallas Morning News "Full of engaging characters and incidents."-- Wall Street Journal "As inspiring as it is informative. A dazzling detective story and a poignant group portrait. A must-read for every language lover."-- Seattle Times "Devastatingly brilliant.... Fascinating, witty, extremely well-written.... Winchester makes words exciting. He obviously loves them."-- The Boston Globe "The extraordinary story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary is a subject perfectly suited to Winchester's magpie mind.... It can be recommended in all seriousness to committed Scrabble players. Here, for instance, you will learn that the first edition closed with the definition of 'zyxt,' a Kentish dialect word for the past participle of the verb 'to see.' Here, too, you will find words like 'aa,' an obsolete term for a stream or watercourse. An affectionate and frankly partisan study of the making of a great dictionary."--Robert McCrumm, Los Angeles Times "Winchester has no peer at illuminating massive and complex endeavors through the quirks and foibles of the brilliant and powerful personalities who carry them out."-- Chicago Sun Times "Winchester tells the story with great verve in an easy-going, anecdotal style that's delectably readable."-- Christian Science Monitor "Fascinatingly told. Winchester brings to life the trials and tribulations of creating the OED, particularly the never-dull personalities of those who were involved. Moreover, he delightfully, admiringly gives us an appreciation of the wonderfully adaptive, ever-expanding English language."-- Forbes Magazine "Supremely readable. Teeming with knowledge and alive with insights."--William F. Buckley, The New York Times Book Review "Entrancing.... An engaging read...resonates with all the chauvinism and misgiving, the self-congratulation and self-doubt that emerge when we think about our language."-- Chicago Tribune, "Winchester has no peer at illuminating massive and complex endeavors through the quirks and foibles of the brilliant and powerful personalities who carry them out."--Chicago Sun Times, "Teeming with knowledge and alive with insights. Winchester handles humor and awe with modesty and cunning. His devotion to the story is the more eloquent for the cool-handedness of its telling. His prose is supremely readable, admirable in its lucid handling of lexicographicalmire."--William F. Buckley, The New York Times Book Review, "Winchester's book is a wonderfully thorough account of the mechanics of dictionary compilation, the tribulations of a project of this scale, and the array of brilliant and often eccentric characters who brought it to completion."--The Dallas Morning News "Full of engaging characters and incidents."--Wall Street Journal "As inspiring as it is informative. A dazzling detective story and a poignant group portrait. A must-read for every language lover."--Seattle Times "Devastatingly brilliant.... Fascinating, witty, extremely well-written.... Winchester makes words exciting. He obviously loves them."--The Boston Globe "The extraordinary story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary is a subject perfectly suited to Winchester's magpie mind.... It can be recommended in all seriousness to committed Scrabble players. Here, for instance, you will learn that the first edition closed with the definition of 'zyxt,' a Kentish dialect word for the past participle of the verb 'to see.' Here, too, you will find words like 'aa,' an obsolete term for a stream or watercourse. An affectionate and frankly partisan study of the making of a great dictionary."--Robert McCrumm, Los Angeles Times "Winchester has no peer at illuminating massive and complex endeavors through the quirks and foibles of the brilliant and powerful personalities who carry them out."--Chicago Sun Times "Winchester tells the story with great verve in an easy-going, anecdotal style that's delectably readable."--Christian Science Monitor "Fascinatingly told. Winchester brings to life the trials and tribulations of creating the OED, particularly the never-dull personalities of those who were involved. Moreover, he delightfully, admiringly gives us an appreciation of the wonderfully adaptive, ever-expanding English language."--Forbes Magazine "Supremely readable. Teeming with knowledge and alive with insights."--William F. Buckley, The New York Times Book Review "Entrancing.... An engaging read...resonates with all the chauvinism and misgiving, the self-congratulation and self-doubt that emerge when we think about our language."--Chicago Tribune
TitleLeading
The
Dewey Edition
23
Dewey Decimal
423/.09
Synopsis
From the best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman , The Map That Changed the World , and Krakatoa comes a truly wonderful celebration of the English language and of its unrivaled treasure house, the Oxford English Dictionary. Writing with marvelous brio, Winchester first serves up a lightning history of the English language--"so vast, so sprawling, so wonderfully unwieldy"--and pays homage to the great dictionary makers, from "the irredeemably famous" Samuel Johnson to the "short, pale, smug and boastful" schoolmaster from New Hartford, Noah Webster. He then turns his unmatched talent for story-telling to the making of this most venerable of dictionaries. In this fast-paced narrative, the reader will discover lively portraits of such key figures as the brilliant but tubercular first editor Herbert Coleridge (grandson of the poet), the colorful, boisterous Frederick Furnivall (who left the project in a shambles), and James Augustus Henry Murray, who spent a half-century bringing the project to fruition. Winchester lovingly describes the nuts-and-bolts of dictionary making--how unexpectedly tricky the dictionary entry for marzipan was, or how fraternity turned out so much longer and monkey so much more ancient than anticipated--and how bondmaid was left out completely, its slips found lurking under a pile of books long after the B-volume had gone to press. We visit the ugly corrugated iron structure that Murray grandly dubbed the Scriptorium--the Scrippy or the Shed, as locals called it--and meet some of the legion of volunteers, from Fitzedward Hall, a bitter hermit obsessively devoted to the OED, to W. C. Minor, whose story is one of dangerous madness, ineluctable sadness, and ultimate redemption. The Meaning of Everything is a scintillating account of the creation of the greatest monument ever erected to a living language. Simon Winchester's supple, vigorous prose illuminates this dauntingly ambitious project--a seventy-year odyssey to create the grandfather of all word-books, the world's unrivalled uber -dictionary., From the best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman, The Map That Changed the World, and Krakatoa comes a truly wonderful celebration of the English language and of its unrivaled treasure house, the Oxford English Dictionary. Writing with marvelous brio, Winchester first serves up a lightning history of the English language--"so vast, so sprawling, so wonderfully unwieldy"--and pays homage to the great dictionary makers, from "the irredeemably famous" Samuel Johnson to the "short, pale, smug and boastful" schoolmaster from New Hartford, Noah Webster. He then turns his unmatched talent for story-telling to the making of this most venerable of dictionaries. In this fast-paced narrative, the reader will discover lively portraits of such key figures as the brilliant but tubercular first editor Herbert Coleridge (grandson of the poet), the colorful, boisterous Frederick Furnivall (who left the project in a shambles), and James Augustus Henry Murray, who spent a half-century bringing the project to fruition. Winchester lovingly describes the nuts-and-bolts of dictionary making--how unexpectedly tricky the dictionary entry for marzipan was, or how fraternity turned out so much longer and monkey so much more ancient than anticipated--and how bondmaid was left out completely, its slips found lurking under a pile of books long after the B-volume had gone to press. We visit the ugly corrugated iron structure that Murray grandly dubbed the Scriptorium--the Scrippy or the Shed, as locals called it--and meet some of the legion of volunteers, from Fitzedward Hall, a bitter hermit obsessively devoted to the OED, to W. C. Minor, whose story is one of dangerous madness, ineluctable sadness, and ultimate redemption. The Meaning of Everything is a scintillating account of the creation of the greatest monument ever erected to a living language. Simon Winchester's supple, vigorous prose illuminates this dauntingly ambitious project--a seventy-year odyssey to create the grandfather of all word-books, the world's unrivalled uber-dictionary., Writing with marvelous brio, Winchester first serves up a lightning history of the English language, first paying homage to great dictionary makers from history, then turning his unmatched talent for story-telling to the making of this most venerable of dictionaries. Readers will discover lively portraits of the key figures who spent so much of their lives bringing the project to fruition, including some from the legion of volunteers. Winchester lovingly describes the nuts-and-bolts of dictionary making, giving us a unique view of the trials and tribulations that went on behind the scenes. The result is a scintillating account of the creation of the greatest monument ever erected to a living language.
LC Classification Number
PE1617.O94
Item description from the seller
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- c***. (155)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseExceptional eBayer! Item even better than described! Well packaged and FAST shipping. Thank you for going above and beyond with this transaction...exceptional value!
- r***b (480)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThe book has arrived in great conditions! Good packaging! Seller is great, good prices and fast shipping! Highly recommended! My positive feedback! Book with pages clean and dust jacket in excellent condition. Thanks!TEACH YOURSELF BOOKS COLLOQUIAL ARABIC By T F Mitchell 1967 Hardcover W/DJ (#116349436390)
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- Feb 02, 2021
Amazing Story of the Greatest Dictionary of all Time
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Seller feedback (1,286)
- c***. (155)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseExceptional eBayer! Item even better than described! Well packaged and FAST shipping. Thank you for going above and beyond with this transaction...exceptional value!
- r***b (480)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseThe book has arrived in great conditions! Good packaging! Seller is great, good prices and fast shipping! Highly recommended! My positive feedback! Book with pages clean and dust jacket in excellent condition. Thanks!TEACH YOURSELF BOOKS COLLOQUIAL ARABIC By T F Mitchell 1967 Hardcover W/DJ (#116349436390)
- *****- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseFast delivery and great price. Item arrived in stated condition with safe packaging. Professional seller, highly recommended to any and all future eBay purchasers! Thank you!