The concise Oxford dictionary of Current English

by Henry Watson Fowler

The concise Oxford dictionary of current English. 1066 Pages

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Language, Dictionaries

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1911

About the author

Henry Watson Fowler (10 March 1858 – 26 December 1933) was an English schoolmaster, lexicographer and commentator on the usage of the English language. He is notable for both A Dictionary of Modern English Usage and his work on the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and was described by The Times as "a lexicographical genius".

Reviews

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another dictionary that meets my criteria for actually buying one: recently updated, lots of usage examples. This one also has a nice reference section, with interesting items such as: biological classification, a style guide, proofreading marks, major divisions of geological time (a good mix of sections you would and wouldn't expect from a dictionary).

I'm unlikely to buy another hard-copy dictionary since the information is so easily accessible on the internet, but it's nice to be able to page through a reasonably heavy tome and discover new information.

[Confucius · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Oxford and David Crystal I trust.

[Howierdg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still using my forty-five year old 6th edition and even though I do sometimes wonder whether I should purchase a newer edition nothing has the same appeal.

[K Stasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my go-to version of this dictionary, though I have most of the editions up to the 10th, and also the ODE. I noticed that some words started having changed definitions from the 1990's ('mandate' was the word that set me on this thread of research, though I looked up many different words), which was interesting to observe, especially in the context of the world in which we live now. I find up to the 8th edition (1990) the most reliable, but use the more modern editions for comparison. It's also encouraged me to question whether newest is always best.

[i · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out the zebra did it.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about the best english dictionary I've ever owned

[Mark Mullee]

While in prison, Malcolm X copied the entire dictionary in longhand. All I have to do is read it.