dictionaries and coinage

[Paul McFedries]

I believe you're thinking of dord, "density," which should have been "D or
d," the short forms for density. This appeared in the 1934 Merriam-Webster
International Dictionary after someone misread a hand-written note.

Paul

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Abate" <abatefr at EARTHLINK.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 8:14 AM
Subject: dictionaries and coinage


> Barry P said:
>
> >>
> OED has "all the tea in China" from Eric Partridge's slang dictionary
> (1937).  Dictionaries never coin words.  Partridge says it's Australian.
> <<
>
> Not quite the case.
>
> An old Merriam Unabridged had a "ghost entry" -- can't recall it at the
> moment -- a word that did not exist at all, anywhere, and slipped in by
> accident or prank.  Joanne?