If anything is guaranteed to annoy a lexicographer, it is the journalistic habit of starting a story with a dictionary definition. Erin McKean annoydefinitiondictionary Change image and share on social
Twitter is like overhearing people's conversations, which is exactly what dictionary editors have been wishing we could do for years. Erin McKean conversationdictionaryeditor Change image and share on social
A love letter is to be savored; a love email... is to be forwarded to all your friends, and probably laughed at. Erin McKean emailforwardfriend Change image and share on social
Twitter has already birthed an entire ecosystem of other sites that extend its power or interact with it. But Twitter isn't just a platform for technological innovation: It's showing signs as an engine of creativity for the language, too. Erin McKean birthedcreativityecosystem share on social
All language is a popularity contest. Erin McKean contestlanguagepopularity Change image and share on social
By the time the traditionally male lexicographers become interested in looking at fashion words, their origins are lost in the mists of time. Erin McKean fashioninterestlexicographer Change image and share on social
Language is a nice way to remember things. Erin McKean languageniceremember Change image and share on social
There are very few good ways to get publicity for a dictionary. Erin McKean dictionarygoodpublicity Change image and share on social
Writers who hedge their use of unfamiliar, infrequent, or informal words with 'I know that's not a real word,' hoping to distance themselves from criticism, run the risk of creating doubt where perhaps none would have naturally arisen. Erin McKean arisecreatecriticism share on social
