Items related to Reading the OED
An obsessive word lover's account of reading the entire Oxford English Dictionary, hailed as "the Super Size Me of lexicography."
"I'm reading the OED so you don't have to," says Ammon Shea on his slightly masochistic journey to scale the word lover's Mount Everest: the Oxford English Dictionary. In 26 chapters filled with sharp wit, sheer delight, and a documentarian's keen eye, Shea shares his year inside the OED, delivering a hair-pulling, eye-crossing account of reading every word.
"I'm reading the OED so you don't have to," says Ammon Shea on his slightly masochistic journey to scale the word lover's Mount Everest: the Oxford English Dictionary. In 26 chapters filled with sharp wit, sheer delight, and a documentarian's keen eye, Shea shares his year inside the OED, delivering a hair-pulling, eye-crossing account of reading every word.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Ammon Shea is the author of two previous books on obscure words, Depraved English and Insulting English (written with Peter Novobatzky). He read his first dictionary, Merriam Webster’s Second International, ten years ago, and followed it up with the sequel, Webster’s Third International. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
From Booklist:
Shea’s engougement (“irrational fondness”) for dictionaries led him to spend a year reading through all 20 volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary, and he describes this account as “the thinking man’s Cliff Notes to the greatest dictionary in the world.” For each letter of the alphabet he provides a handful of his favorite words and his own humorous glosses, along with musings on the history of the OED, dictionaries in general, and his reading life. (He does most of his OED reading at the Hunter College Library and finds himself turning into one of those “Library People” as the year goes by.) He shares a number of words that, though they have fallen out of the common vocabulary, could be put to excellent use today: empleomania: “a manic compulsion to hold public office”; zabernism: “a misuse of military authority.” The book will happify (“make happy”) word and dictionary lovers, who will be able to read it in an hour or two, much less time than it takes to read the OED. --Mary Ellen Quinn
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherPerigee
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 0670073377
- ISBN 13 9780670073375
- BindingHardcover
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages
Published by
Viking, Camberwell
(2008)
ISBN 10: 0670073377
ISBN 13: 9780670073375
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. second-hand copy, no damage to the dustjacket, no damage to the book, no annotations. In 26 chapters, one for each letter of the alphabet, with examples, the author shares his year inside the OED, delivering a hair pulling, I crossing account of reading every word, and compiling the most obscure, hilarious, oddly useful, and exquisitely useless gems he discovered along the way. The perfect book to give a pedant, or someone who just loves words stop Full number line. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. XVI, 224 pages. Please refer to accompanying picture (s). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 500 grams. Category: Language & Linguistics; Books on Books. ISBN: 0670073377. ISBN/EAN: 9780670073375. Inventory No: 0278285. Seller Inventory # 0278285
Buy Used
US$ 11.12
Convert currency
Stock Image
Reading the OED - One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages
Published by
Penguin Group, Australia, USA,Canada,England,Ireland, New Delhi,
(2008)
ISBN 10: 0670073377
ISBN 13: 9780670073375
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good - Some Wear. Seller Inventory # 063539
Buy Used
US$ 5.82
Convert currency