h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A434873

This is a simple and informative article about the creation and maintenance of the Oxford English Dictionary, a text of which I am articularly fond.

I was at first amazed that no one has written about the OED yet -- especially on a site dedicated to explaining things -- precisely as a dictionary does, more or less.

I think I did a good job explaining the OED. I don't think the entry is dry or boring. I don't think it's too esoteric. I don't think it's inaccurate. And I think I even got all the British spellings correct.

It doesn't read like an advertisement for the dictionary. I tried very hard to reflect some enthusiasm without getting too opinionated about it.

There's nothing really special I can do to make it any more fancy or spectacular -- it is an entry about a dictionary, after all. But if it is chosen to be edited, I think some graphical elements might be in order -- just something to dress it up a bit.

One element I wish I could have added is an example of an OED entry. Something run-of-the-mill, like "the" or "cannon" or "afternoon," to illustrate the principles of the dictionary's definitions explained in the entry.

Also, there is plenty of room to add more about the dictionary, if anyone chooses to contribute.

Please accept this entry for review.

This is an excellent entry and well worth including the Edited Guide. The OED is an important record of our language and one of the greatest scholarly projects of all time. It should certainly be recorded here.

Agreed. Good entry. You will have no problem getting this into the Edited Guide.

One British spelling you did miss: `flavour` instead of `flavor`.

Oh, well done Parapluie! That's a great read - I really enjoyed it. I'd love to get the set but I expect you'd have to take out a mortgage to be able to afford it.

Hi,

This is a fantastic insight into one of those things everyone takes for granted. I thought it was great!

The only bit of (constructive) criticism I can offer is that you alter the following sentence:

"Before the dictionary’s completion, Murray had been knighted (1908), but by the time the final chapter was published in 1928, he was well decomposed in his grave, having died some 13 years previous"

Personally I think the well decomposed in his grave bit is a bit flippant, and the article stands on its own two feet without it.



- Adam

Thanks, Adam. I actually agree with you: That sentence could be reworked. It's all in the hands of the editors now...

Oops. Thanks! I'll look out for that one in the future (or is it "in future"? ).

We were forced to use the OED at school when learning English instead of a simple two-language dictionary. So I am a bit traumatised and full of prejudices, because I remember tests that left us very desperated. In the retrospective I must admit that it was quite useful just to use the OED - for we were trained in finding synonyms or in describing the words we were looking for in English rather than just looking for the meaning in our own language. My English isn't perfect, just because we learned it with OED's help, but on the other hand - whose English is?

Greetings from the other end of the world,

Kazuya

I will agree with what's been said so far, good entry.

I'd like to point out there is nothing that prevents you from editing your entry up until the time a sub-editor actually is assigned to it. You don't lose control of it once you post it in peer review.

Nor, to my knowledge, has this entry actually been recommended yet. I suspect a scout will recommend it at some point in the future, and I equally expect when they do that it is likely the staff will accept it. (though I can't make any guarantees.) However, up to that point you are definitely free to revise.

Gavroche

Actually it has been recommended - and accepted! Nice writing
Here is the offical bit to close this thread:

"Thanks for your recommendation. You'll be glad to know that we think this
entry is great, and it has now gone into the Editorial Process for future
inclusion in the Edited Guide. When it does get into the Edited Guide, we
will email to let you know, but please bear in mind it can take a while for
entries to go through the sub-editing system."

- Adam

Editorial Note: This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review forum because this entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

Thanks, everyone, for your support! Wow -- this was the first entry I wrote for the Guide. Glad it went so well-received.
--parapluie

I hope you write many more!