Word by word: the secret life of dictionaries

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Language:
English
Lexile measure:
1170L

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ISBN:
9781101870945
Lexile measure:
1170L

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Grouping Information

Grouped Work ID82951c17-e8f0-fb35-00e3-87c8a81877ad
Grouping Titleword by word the secret life of dictionaries
Grouping Authorkory stamper
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2025-08-13 15:21:57PM
Last Indexed2025-08-13 15:23:26PM

Solr Fields

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author
Stamper, Kory
author_display
Stamper, Kory
available_at_catalog
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East Regional
Eva H. Perry Regional
North Regional
Northeast Regional
Oberlin Regional
Southeast Regional
collection_catalog
Adult Non-Fiction
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East Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
Eva H. Perry Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
North Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
Northeast Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
Oberlin Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
Southeast Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
display_description
"Brimming with intelligence and personality, a vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made - a must read for word mavens. Have you ever tried to define the word "is?" Do you have strong feelings about the word (and, yes, it is a word) "irregardless?" Did you know that OMG was first used in 1917, in a letter to Winston Churchill? These are the questions that keep lexicographers up at night. While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, 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 and how to define, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why the 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. Throughout Stamper brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a surprisingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. A sure delight for all lovers of words, Harmless Drudges will also improve readers' grasp and use of the English language"--
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Book
format_category_catalog
Books
id
82951c17-e8f0-fb35-00e3-87c8a81877ad
isbn
9781101870945
itype_catalog
BK
last_indexed
2025-08-13T19:23:26.011Z
lexile_score
1170
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_catalog
413.028 STAMP
owning_library_catalog
Wake County Public Libraries
owning_location_catalog
Cary Regional
East Regional
Eva H. Perry Regional
North Regional
Northeast Regional
Oberlin Regional
Southeast Regional
primary_isbn
9781101870945
publishDate
2017
publisher
Pantheon Books
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Encyclopedias and dictionaries -- History and criticism
Lexicographers -- Biography
Lexicography -- History
title_display
Word by word : the secret life of dictionaries
title_full
Word by word : the secret life of dictionaries / Kory Stamper
title_short
Word by word
title_sub
the secret life of dictionaries
topic_facet
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
History
History and criticism
Lexicographers
Lexicography

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record_details

Bib IdFormatFormat CategoryEditionLanguagePublisherPublication DatePhysical DescriptionAbridged
ils:720626BookBooksFirst editionEnglishPantheon Books[2017]xiii, 296 pages ; 22 cm

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