The making of the Oxford English Dictionary was a monumental 50 year task requiring thousands of volunteers. One of the keenest volunteers was a W C Minor who astonished everyone by refusing to come to Oxford to receive his congratulations. In the end, James Murray, the OED's editor, went to Crowthorne in Berkshire to meet him.

The Meaning of Everything is the story behind the making of the first Oxford English Dictionary. In this account of the OED's creation, Winchester introduces a host of characters, from the murderer who contributed from his prison cell to the self-taught draper's son who guided the project towards fruition.

Journey into the history of English and discover how words have entered our language to make it what it is today.

A biography of James Murray, the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary . It provides an account of his life, along with how the dictionary was written, the personalities of the people working on it and the endless difficulties that nearly led to the whole enterprise being abandoned.

This second edition offers a comprehensive and completely up-to-date description of how dictionaries are researched and written.

Describes the relationship between Tolkien's creative use of language in his fictional works and his professional work on the Oxford English Dictionary . The main section of this book offers 'word studies', which explore individual words Tolkien used in terms of their origins, development, and significance in his fictional world.

From the brash jargon of celebrity magazines to the delicacies and feints of the euphemism, this work uncovers the stories that lie behind some of our best-loved words and expressions. It show you where thugs come from, why 'barmy' once had more to do with your beer than your brain, and how a little bit of 'hanky-panky' could literally work magic.

This is the first full account of the controversy surrounding the publication of Webster's Third New International Dictionary in 1961.

This second edition of the acclaimed study of Johnson's Dictionary incorporates new commentary and scholarship.

An accepted authority on the evolution of the English language. This work traces the usage of words through 2.4 million quotations from a range of international English language sources. Accompanying each definition is a chronologically arranged group of quotations that trace the usage of words, and show the contexts in which they can be used.

'Teaching and Researching Lexicography' explains the relationship between lexicographic practice (dictionary-making) and theory (dictionary research), with special reference to the perspectives of dictionary history, criticism, typology, structure and use. It particularly looks at the use and relevance of dictionaries in second language learning.

Worlds of Reference is a history of dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference materials.

Explores the pioneering endeavours in both lexicography and lexicology. Making use of archive material, this collection of twelve essays brings a variety of perspectives to bear upon the OED, and the particular problems posed by the attempt to break ground in its formation.

Bungalow, pyjamas, tiffin, rickshaw, veranda, curry, cheroot, chintz, calico, gingham, mango, junk and catamaran are all words which have crept into the English language from the days of Britain's colonial rule of the Indian sub-continent and the Malaysian Peninsular. This dictionary is for all who are interested in English etymology.

Drawing on the collective wisdom of over 154 languages, this book is arranged by theme to help you compare attitudes all over the world to such subjects as food, the human body and the battle of the sexes. It also includes a discussion of how many Eskimo' terms there are for snow, and an array of information exploring the strange world of words.

The fullest account ever published of the lexicography of English describes its history from medieval glosses to a high-tech industry and covers English in all its varieties, including American English. A unique reference uniting scholarship with readability.

A collection of original essays celebrating the 250th anniversary of the publication of the Dictionary.

A lexicon of laughter

An examination of the rise of the English dictionary, the kinds of dictionary available, the range of information they contain, factors affecting their usage and public attitudes towards them. The advantages of a thesaurus-like approach over the traditional format are discussed.