Comments on: A most excellent research tool

By: Tuesday Links « Bib-Laura-graphy

Tuesday Links « Bib-Laura-graphy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:07:45 +0000

[...] Justine Larbalestier tells us about her favorite research tool. [...]

By: Nicholas Waller

Nicholas Waller — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:16:41 +0000

The OED occasionally uses non-print cites, like recordings (a Monty Python album was a cite for the phrase “something for the weekend, sir”? I think) and handwritten diaries (first deployment of the sexual-approval term “phwoar!”(sp) from a teenage girl’s diary entry about her teacher). But they have to be dateable.

Both of these bits I gathered from a BBC TV series called Balderdash and Piffle, which publicised the OED’s Wordhunt operation, wherein they encourage the public to send them earlier-than-currently-listed citations of words and phrases.

On another tack, someone called Ammon Shea spent a year reading the entire OED and then wrote a book about it. He found most of it interesting, but “the letter Q was boring as hell. And I didn’t much care for X either.”

He has some favourite words… I see that due to your 6-monthly New-York Sydney travels you’re not likely to experience one of them: apricity (Apricity – The warmth of the sun in winter).

Some others:

Father-waur – Being worse than one’s father
Peracme – The point at which one’s prime has passed
Postvide – To make plans for an event only after it has happened
Velleity – A mere wish or desire for something, unaccompanied by any action of effort.

By: Amber

Amber — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:49:14 +0000

A couple years ago one of my professors had each of us in the class look up a word in the OED. It was actually very interesting, though I haven’t been back much. I enjoy looking at the newly added words the most! I don’t think I’ll ever do a historical fiction story, but it’s good to know if I ever want to.

By: Lisa Gold

Lisa Gold — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:18:14 +0000

Hi, Justine. According to the editors of DARE, there will eventually be an electronic version, but it won’t be available until after all of the print volumes have been published. (Volume V is scheduled for 2010, followed by a supplementary volume with indexes and maps.)

By: Justine

Justine — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:42:28 +0000

Jude: DARE is totally only available in print. Which, frankly is INSANE. I would pay a lot for a digital version. And I suspect I am not alone.

As it’s a resource I would be using EVERY SINGLE DAY going to the library every time I need to look something up isn’t practical. And buying my own copy is impossible because the damn thing is simply too big and bulky for me. There’s literally no where in this flat it would fit. (This flat cannot handle another volume of manga let alone a bloody huge multi-volume dictionary!) And forget about carting it back and forth between Sydney & NYC. The publishers seriously need to get a clue.

I WOULD PAY THEM ANYTHING THEY ASKED FOR A DIGITAL VERSION!!

/rant

By: Jude

Jude — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:40:02 +0000

What you really need to take a look at is the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE). You can look at samples on their website at: http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/dare/dare.html
I’m pretty sure it’s only available in print, but most larger public and all academic libraries should have it. From it, I learned that my step-grandfather, who was from Tennessee, was using a regionalism when he referred to the common nighthawk as a “bullbat.” It’s an amazing resource. I also love reading online newspapers, like the ones available at coloradohistoricnewspapers.org or the Library of Congress Chronicling America website http://www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/
Can you tell I’m a librarian?

By: Victoria Janssen

Victoria Janssen — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:27:17 +0000

I love using this 1922 thesaurus, for a similar purpose: http://www.bartleby.com/110/

Since I mostly write in the WWI period, it’s invaluable. And so geekily fun.

By: Diana Peterfreund

Diana Peterfreund — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:15:04 +0000

I think you just nailed why I do not write historical works. I have a hard enough time thinking of words to write. I do not need the added annoyance of being told I cannot use those words.

By: veejane

veejane — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:16:17 +0000

I was doing some research into primary sources of the 1840s, and discovered to my considerable hilarity that the word “bug” (as in flying pests) was well into common usage by 1846. For some reason I had thought it was a modern word.

By: joanna

joanna — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:27:30 +0000

Yay for the OED! I would just like to point out that many public library systems subscribe to the OED (and other amazing subscription-only online research sources); enter your library card number on your library website and you get access for free! (I particularly love the “Lost for Words?” button. My co-worker and I decided that the OED is an excellent fortune-telling device: ask an open-ended question and click on “Lost for Words”, and the OED will answer your question! This is what happens when library folk hang out…)

By: Brendan Podger

Brendan Podger — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:21:55 +0000

I have always wanted the complete 24 volume Complete Oxford on my bookshelves though. Perhaps when I am rich and have a proper library.

By: SF Signal

SF Signal — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:17:36 +0000

SF Signal’s 10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Blogs…

We here at SF Signal headquarters were thrilled to be asked by Blogs.com to contribute a list of 10 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Blogs. It was much more difficult than we anticipated since there are so many author……

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:43:06 +0000

I LOVE the OED! I get the OED Word of the Day, so it makes me happy even when I’m not doing research for anything specific!