Posts by Oxford Dictionaries
Ask a lexicographer: part 2
Every now and again, we like to share a few of the very interesting questions sent to us by users of Oxford Dictionaries. Read on to learn more about the peculiarities of the English alphabet and dictionary history. The dictionary speaks Answer: One could argue that dictionaries are called as such because they tell the [...]
Who cares about English? Part 1
We at the Oxford English Dictionary recently partnered with the British Council to host a panel discussion entitled ‘Who cares about English?’ The panel was chaired by John Knagg, Head of English Research at the British Council, and consisted of: John Simpson, Chief Editor of the OED Romesh Gunesekera, Booker prize shortlisted novelist Henry Hitchings, [...]
What do you call the man in the red suit?
Last year on the OxfordWords blog, we posted a picture of a rather rotund gentleman, with a white beard and moustache, and some fetching white faux-fur trimmings on his red suit and hat. We asked ‘Who is this?’ and gave you a choice of Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Santa, Saint Nick, Santy, Kris Kringle, [...]
A Christmas Carol text analyser
A Christmas Carol was first published 169 years ago, on 19 December 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a bad-tempered skinflint who hates Christmas and all it stands for, and his transformation after a ghostly visitor pays Scrooge a visit one Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol was met with instant success and was [...]
Quaffing and scoffing tool: pairing festive foods with wine
Have you got that festive feeling? An urge to eat, drink, and be merry? Prepare for your seasonal celebrations with our food and wine pairing tool with a difference. Not only can you discover what you should be scoffing to complement your quaffing but you can also learn a fascinating food or wine language fact [...]
What were your top dictionary look-ups of the last three months?
Every so often, as part of our search monitor series, we take a look at the most looked-up words on Oxford Dictionaries Online over a certain period. Here, our list spans August to October of this year to show you which were the most popular words of the last few months. Hella ridic new lookups [...]
A Very Short Introduction to English Literature: text analyser
Explore the text of English Literature: A Very Short Introduction, by Jonathan Bate. In this text analyser you can explore the ways in which Bate covers different types of literature, poetry, and novels. The frequency of the words found in Bate’s fascinating book will not come as a surprise, but key words such as ‘Shakespeare’ [...]
Words we’re thankful for
Here on the OxfordWords blog we’re constantly awed and impressed by the breadth and depth of the English language. As this is a great week to be appreciative, we’ve asked some fellow language-lovers which word they’re most thankful for. From quark to quotidian, ych a fi to robot, here’s what they said.
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