Tag: lexicography

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Frances Peck

The Story of Canadian English

November 21, 2017 by Frances Peck | 8 Comments on The Story of Canadian English

For those of us still grieving the defunct Canadian Oxford Dictionary, the release of the second edition of A Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles, on March 17 this year, lent some comfort. First published in 1967 to coincide with Canada’s centennial, the DCHP not only gives spellings and definitions but also tracks (and sometimes […]

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Literally is not The word “literally” is the topic of this week’s blog, "English Can Be So Two-faced," by Karen Virag for The Editors' Weekly, EAC, Sept. 17, 2013. only word in this crazy language of ours that has opposing definitions. But it's the topic of this blog post, "English Can Be So Two-faced," by Karen Virag. The Editors' Weekly, EAC, Sept. 17, 2013.
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Karen Virag

English can be so two-faced

September 17, 2013 by Karen Virag | Leave a Comment

My head literally exploded when I read it! What text, you are wondering, could have caused such a messy and bloody scene? (And if my head literally exploded, shouldn’t I be dead?) Well, the text in question was from an article in Salon magazine (August 22, 2013) decrying the Merriam-Webster (MW) Dictionary definition of the word literally to […]

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Image of sepia-toned, handwritten words in a grungy collage with red and brown smeared colours.
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Victoria Neufeldt

Old Words

April 16, 2013 by Victoria Neufeldt | 1 Comment on Old Words

Old words are just as interesting as new words.  But how old is old?  We use a good number of words today that go all the way back to Old English, the language of the Germanic peoples who invaded and then settled in England in the fifth century A.D.  These “native” words are some of […]

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An image of the head of an older woman, thoughtfully stroking her chin.
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Karen Virag

GETTABLE GRAMMAR: Less is More

January 15, 2013 by Karen Virag | Leave a Comment

Gettable Grammar is a monthly series of conjectures, opinions and postulates by Karen Virag. LESS IS MORE, NOT FEWER. EXCEPT SOMETIMES. The question of when to use fewer and when to use less perplexes many people. Generally speaking, you should use fewer to refer to a smaller number and less to refer to a smaller […]

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Balloon captions in white on a grey background with lots of slang text such as "Now I'm really ticked," and "Huh?" and "I'm stuck," etc.
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Victoria Neufeldt

New Words

January 2, 2013 by Victoria Neufeldt | 2 Comments on New Words

The end of a year brings thoughts of old and new words—and not only to us word birds, who throughout the year are tuned into what’s coming in and what’s fading out. It’s generally easier to recognize the new than the obsolescent. New words and meanings can virtually explode onto the linguistic scene. Such terms usually relate […]

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