News from the OED Archives

Pre-editors sorting through the backlog of material in the OED files (some of which dates from the first edition) frequently come across letters worthy of a place in the extensive OED Archive.

Jenny McMorris, our archivist, reports that recent finds include several letters from Kenneth Grahame in his position as Secretary of the Bank of England, one from W. G. Grace on the term 'popping crease', and another from Thomas Hardy on 'pook'. Both the latter were written to James Murray on the same date, 21 January 1907, in response to appeals for help.

Hardy's words are quoted directly in the OED definition - 'a thin tall stack of corn [etc.].'