You searched for oed is 80 - Page 40 of 41

The Past is Present

Morton Keller looks at our polarized political present in light of our past.

Facing AIDS In South Africa

An excerpt from Shattered Dreams?: An Oral History of the South African AIDS Epidemic.

When Spellcheckers Attack: Perils of the Cupertino Effect

Ben Zimmer looks at modern spellcheckers.

A Few Questions for Laura Pappano

Pappano talks about Playing With The Boys.

We’re just five days away from Dictionary Day, the annual celebration of all things lexicographical held every 16th of October. Commemorating the anniversary of Noah Webster’s birth in 1758, it’s largely an opportunity for US school teachers to organize classroom activities encouraging students to build their dictionary skills and to exult in the joy of […]

Quizzes and Gigs

Anatoly delves into word history for our entertainment.

The Girl Whom You Think Lives Here Has Left

Language changes through variation. Some people ‘sneaked’, others ‘snuck’. The two forms may coexist for a long time, or one of them may be considered snobbish. Once the snobs die out, the form will go to rest with them. Or the snobs may feel embarrassed of being in the minority and ‘go popular’.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism!

By Ben Zimmer

One question I often field in my capacity as OUP’s editor for American dictionaries is, ‘What’s the longest word in the dictionary?’ I don’t hear it as often as ‘How do I get a new word in the dictionary?’ but it still comes up from time to time. My stock answer isn’t very interesting: ‘It depends…’