December 2003 newsletter

Of the two articles in this issue of OED News, one raises (and answers) questions which I suspect most people will never have thought of asking, while the other almost answers a question that everyone on the OED seems to get asked at some point. Our Artist in Residence, Abigail Reynolds, has begun to examine the Dictionary in new ways; her conversation with Philip Durkin suggests that her residency may yield unforeseen insights into our work.

By contrast, the question "what's your favourite word?" is one which (in my experience) most lexicographers are tired of being asked. (A straw poll of my OED colleagues produced a fine selection — including buttle, checkmate, chocolate, delphinestrian, discombobulated, gazebo, lucubrate, mumpsimus, persiflage, serendipity, sister, and twiffler — but the most common response was "I don't have one.") Earlier this year, during the celebrations surrounding the 75th anniversary of the completion of the First Edition of the OED, John Simpson was persuaded to choose ten good candidates; I hope readers of OED News will enjoy his entertaining and thought-provoking selection.

This newsletter is available to download. (To view the file you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader.)