The Decline of the Dictionary

[Joanne M. Despres]

Sorry, Barry, sometimes we miss things, and sometimes we have
to toss out evidence because it doesn't exactly  fit the senses we
enter.  Honest to God, it's not intended as a slight against your
hard work.


Joanne Despres
Merriam-Webster

On 9 Aug 2003, at 11:56, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

>    Then again, there is the OED, which adds words and never kicks them out.
> Merriam-Webster's 11th was not meant to be the OED.  So "the decline of _the_
> dictionary" is really "the decline of _a_ dictionary" (in one person's
> opinion).
>    I'm more angry that "hello" is dated to 1877 and not changed after all my
> hard work years ago.
>
>
> BRITISH NATIONAL LIBRARY ONLINE--
> http://www.uk.olivesoftware.com/archive/Skins/BL/navigator.asp
>    It uses a similar system to the BROOKLYN EAGLE.  Unfortunately, there are
> just a few selected years so far, with the earliest 1851.  I keep going back
> to it, but there hasn't been any change.  Fred Shapiro has a little electronic
> list, and I don't remember if this was on it.
>
>
> ANCESTRY.COM--Gerald Cohen wants Oregon newspapers, but ancestry.com has _no_
> Oregon newspapers at all.  For some reason, they keep adding small-town Ohio
> newspapers (not even the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER or CINCINNATI ENQUIRER).
> There are not many newspapers before 1860 or after 1950,  The database improves
> every day, but for now, here are some large holes:
>
> OREGON--no newspapers (No "Tillamook cheese")
> HAWAII--no newspapers (No "mai tai")
> DELAWARE--no newspapers  (No "submarine sandwich")
> WASHINGTON--no newspapers before 1902 (No "geoduck")
> TEXAS--no newspapers before 1899 and not much after 1919.  Texas!!
> FLORIDA--only two newspapers with very brief runs
> LOUISIANA--only one newspaper, the LAFAYETTE ADVERTISER, from 1869-1905.
> This kills me. New Orleans--for the love of Pete, add a solid 100 years of New
> Orleans!!
> SOUTH CARLONIA--only one newspaper, from 1924-1928
> OHIO--about 66 titles!!!!!!!!!!
>
>    Add one crappy search engine and there you are.


Joanne M. Despres, Senior Editor
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
jdespres at merriam-webster.com
http://www.merriam-webster.com