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Jane or Jones?

Jane Austen’s novels and letters are frequently cited in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), putting her work currently as the 253rd most frequently quoted source in the OED, with a total of 1,620 quotations. Of these quotations, 44 currently provide the very first evidence of a particular word, including the adjective ‘fragmented’ (from Northanger Abbey: “In the shape of some fragmented journal, continued to the last gasp”) and “sponge-cake” (from an 1808 letter).

Although not providing the first evidence of any new words, Bridget Jones’s Diary is nevertheless cited in the OED more than 30 times, providing modern evidence for words and phrases such as prick-teaser and midriff.

You can read more about the connection between Jane Austen and Bridget Jones’s Diary in Pride, Prejudice, and an obsession with Colin Firth.

Think you know your Jane from your Jones?

In this quiz, we pit Jane Austen’s novels against Bridget Jones’s Diary in the OED. Can you spot which of the cited words are from the hallowed pen of Austen and which from the probably somewhat squiffy pen of Bridget?

Who do you think is a source quoted for the following words in the OED:

Jane Austen or Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones?

Game Over

Play again!

Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
sprawly (adjective: sprawling or straggly)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
argh (interjection)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
deedily (adjective: actively, busily)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
unpunctuality (noun)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
lurve (verb)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
coze (noun: a cosy, friendly talk)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
nesty (adjective: domestic, home-making)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
pah (interjection)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
headachy (adjective)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
Who is quoted as a source in the Oxford English Dictionary for the following word?
tittupy (adjective: apt to tip up)
Jane Austen
Bridget Jones
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Posted on: September 11 2012 | Categories: Competitions and quizzes, Dictionaries and lexicography, Interactive features | Tags:

The opinions and other information contained in the Oxford Dictionaries Online blog posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of OUP.

  • Arnie Perlstein

    The OED is a dinosaur, it has been put out of business by Google Books–and you have just given the perfect example—yes, Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (published in 1818) does indeed contain the following sentence: ”

    But I just ran a Google Books search and found three prior publications using the adjective “fragmented”: 1. In a 1788 issue of the Gentlemen’s Magazine, referring to “fragmented bones”; 2. In an 1800 journal, referring to a statue known as the “Fragmented Hercules”; and 3. Four usages in the same 1800 book describing architecture.

    And, anyway, Jane Austen also used the word “fragment” two other times in her novels, and “fragment” was a very common word in print during her lifetime.

    So….who needs the OED? It’s much more fun to do your own Google Books search!

    Cheers, ARNIE PERLSTEIN
    @JaneAustenCode on Twitter
    sharpelvessociety.blogspot.com

    • oxfordwords

      Thanks for your comment, Arnie.

      We completely agree that Google Books is a very useful resource, but
      by looking only at one such resource you run the risk of getting a skewed view of things. For instance, one of the other databases that we routinely use throws up an even earlier example – fragmented bricks – from 1773. And there may be even earlier examples.

      Google Books and similar repositories present users with a wealth of undigested text which they are able to search. This is of immense interest and value.

      Where OED differs and comes into its own is that it takes these examples and puts them into context. By using the OED, you can find out what the word in question means, where that particular meaning appears within the historical development of the word, and how that word entered the English language. None of that information is available by looking simply at the raw text.

      Updating the OED is a big job – so please do send us your advance findings through the website!

  • Geraldine

    Yay, 8/10 – not bad! Love both the Mr Darcys :)

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