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Do you have strong feelings about the word “irregardless”?�Have you ever tried to define�the word “is”? Brimming with intelligence and personality, this vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made is a must-read for word mavens.
Many of us take dictionaries for granted, and few may realize that the process of writing dictionaries is, in fact, as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography, from the agonizing decisions about what to define and how to do it, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. And along the way, she reveals little-known surprises—for example, the fact that “OMG” was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.
Word by Word brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a startlingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. Certain to be a delight for all lovers of words, Stamper’s debut will make you laugh as much as it makes you appreciate the wonderful complexities and eccentricities of the English language.
- Sales Rank: #1194 in Books
- Published on: 2017-03-14
- Released on: 2017-03-14
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 8.50" h x 1.08" w x 5.85" l, 1.25 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 320 pages
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of March 2017: “We think of English as a fortress to be defended, but a better analogy is to think of English as a child,” writes Kory Stamper in her witty and surprising new book, Word by Word. “As English grows, it lives its own life, and this is right and healthy. Sometimes English does exactly what we think it should; sometimes it goes places we don’t like and thrives there in spite of all our worrying. We can tell it to clean itself up and act more like Latin; we can throw tantrums and start learning French instead. But we will never really be the boss of it. And that’s why it flourishes.”
Word by Word is part memoir, part history of dictionaries – in particular, those published by Stamper’s employer, Merriam Webster. Language lovers (can we call them logophiles, Ms. Stamper?) will have a fine time in the author’s company as she discusses the unpredictable and uncontrollable ways of her mother tongue. The surprises come when she describes the difficulties of defining seemingly simple words like “nude” and “marriage.” Stamper and her fellow lexicographers work mostly in silence, but they can’t escape being drawn into our era’s vociferous political discourse.
Along the way, there’s much pleasure to be had in Stamper’s down-to-earth, frequently ribald narrative style, which keeps Word by Word from feeling overly intellectual or highfalutin’. Readers will find a deeper understanding of how dictionaries are compiled, and a trove of amusing insights into definitions and derivations. “On fleek”? Invented by a 16-year-old YouTuber. Pumpernickel? Translates to “fartgoblin.” Posh? If you’re certain that term derives from English-Empire lingo for “port-out-starboard-home,” think again.
While you might not choose to spend an entire month of your life writing a dictionary entry for “take,” Stamper conveys the delight, frustration, and satisfaction her vocation entails. She has that special “feeling for language” she calls sprachgef�hl: “the odd buzzing in your brain that tells you that ‘planting the lettuce’ and ‘planting misinformation’ are different uses of ‘plant.’” “Word by Word” offers laymen a glimpse into a crack lexicographer’s mind, and it turns out to be – definitively – a very entertaining place indeed. --Sarah Harrison Smith, The Amazon Book Review
Review
"A satisfying dip in the ocean of words and a thoughtful consideration of current American English and dictionaries.�Hungry word lovers will find this book a delicious, multicourse meal of word lore...�The real appeal is in the charming stories of the words and the personally guided tour of the Merriam-Webster editorial process, told in Stamper’s fresh and funny voice."
—Library Journal (Starred Review)
"A witty, sly, occasionally profane behind-the-scenes tour aimed at deposing the notion of 'real and proper English'… Stamper corrals [words] to her purpose with such aplomb that readers might just feel like applauding. For those who love language, this debut…will be a delectable feast."
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Neatly and wittily covers grammar… A smart, sparkling and often hilarious valentine to the content and keepers of dictionaries. Most people use a dictionary with little thought given to the genesis of definitions, or their maintenance. Stamper pulls back the curtain in Word by Word.”
—Marilyn Dahl, Shelf Awareness for Readers
"[M]arvelous insight into the messy world behind the tidy definitions on the page... Lexicography is not sexy, but in this spirited book about the science and art of making dictionaries, it is by turns amusing, frustrating, surprising, and above all, engrossing. It is perhaps unsurprising, given her line of work, that Stamper employs words with delightful precision in her writing. What is surprising is how enjoyable she makes reading about the drudgery of dictionary making. Seen through Stamper’s eyes, a dictionary is not only a reference source, but also a living linguistic record and a window into history."
—Bridget Thoreson, Booklist
“[Stamper] loves her work, and her enthusiasm adds a real zest to her tales of usage… Big-time Scrabble fans will love this book.”
—Kirkus
"As a writer, Kory Stamper can do anything with words: define them, split them, lump them, agglute them, and make them work for her every bit as ferociously and precisely as she works for them in her day job as a far from mild-mannered lexicographer at Merriam-Webster. You will never take a dictionary entry for granted again."
—Mary Norris, bestselling author of Between You & Me�
"Excellent… [A] love letter to letters themselves... An eloquent defense of a 'live and let live' approach to English… A cheerful and thoughtful rebuke of the cult of the grammar scolds… A spirited defense of the messiness and experimentation that allows a language to thrive as a tool for human communication. Stamper [is] a wry and charming correspondent... Word by Word is, like a dictionary itself, a composite affair: It’s a memoir that is also an explanation of the work that writing a dictionary entails…an erudite and loving and occasionally profane history of the English language."
—Megan Garber,�The Atlantic
�
"[A] well-designed volume… Charming…told in Stamper’s fresh and funny voice. Hungry word lovers will find this book a delicious, multicourse meal of word lore… A satisfying dip in the ocean of words and a thoughtful consideration of current American English and dictionaries."
—Library Journal (Starred Review)
About the Author
KORY STAMPER�is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, where she also writes, edits, and appears in the “Ask the Editor” video series. She blogs regularly on language and lexicography at www.korystamper.com, and her writing has appeared in The Guardian and The New York Times, and on Slate.com.
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
I heartily recommend this book
By Tasha Martin
I heartily recommend this book; Kory is utterly hilarious, and there's a lot of interesting background about language in there as well. I didn't think it was possible to make lexicography as amusing as she did. She is a brilliant writer and a talented lexicographer who has managed to sum up both the transcendental joy in working with words and the moments of frustration (and occasional despair).
This book is a distillation of all of the best parts of the job; it made me fiercely miss being a lexicographer, but it was 100% accurate.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Buy this book.
By john cunningham
Kory's book is absolutely fascinating and hilarious. Buy it and read it. You won't regret it.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Five Stars
By Alison B Pacuska
My view of "nice" is forever changed.
See all 13 customer reviews...
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