The KellyGram

Published by Bob Kelly

Resident Wordsmith and Quotemeister

WordCrafters, Inc.

www.wordcrafters.info

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In This Issue:

• Of Fascicles, Lexicography and the OED
• A Word of Thanks
• The Quote Corner (Words)

• Writing Problems? Let Us Help!
• Feeling Unappreciated?
• Smile Awhile
• A Final Word

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OF FASCICLES, LEXICOGRAPHY AND THE BIRTH OF THE OED

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Ive just finished reading a wonderful book about words. Entitled The Professor and the Madman, it was written by Simon Winchester and published in 1998 by HarperCollins Publishers. Its the fascinating and true story of how the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the most extensive lexicographical undertaking in the history of our language, came into being.

Two of the central figures in this project, which took more than 70 years from concept to completion, were Dr. James A.H. Murray (the professor, an Englishman and the principal editor) and Dr. William Chester Minor, (the madman, an American physician, U.S. Army veteran, convicted murderer, and a major contributor to the project). It is around these two men that Winchester spins his extraordinary tale.

In 1857, the members of the Philological Society of London, finding existing dictionaries incomplete and unsatisfactory, decided the time had come to undertake an exhaustive study of the rapidly changing and evolving English language, and to publish a new dictionary, more thorough and detailed than any of its predecessors.

Recognizing that they were embarking on a project of great magnitude, they nevertheless fell woefully short in their estimates of how long it would take. Their original estimate was 10 years but, in fact, it would be 22 years before it even began.

In 1879, the Society contracted with Oxford University Press and with Dr. Murray to begin work, which got immediately underway, with the help of hundreds of volunteers who painstakingly researched books dating back as far as the 11^th century, and sent their findings to Murray and his editorial staff. The most proficient of these volunteers was none other than the certifiably insane and delusional Dr. Minor, who had been confined to an asylum in England following the unprovoked murder of an innocent man on the streets of London.

The project was enormous, far greater than anyone had anticipated. After five years of diligent work, the hard-working team had gotten all the way up to the word "ant." Displaying a clear sense of the obvious, they realized their timetable was badly in need of adjustment.

The first of what would ultimately be 12 fascicles (divisions of a book thats published in parts or sections) was printed in 1884, but it wasnt until 1927, 43 years later, and 12 years after the death of Professor Murray, that the final fascicle rolled off the presses. Nor did Dr. Minor live to see that great day. In 1910, old and in poor health, he was paroled from the asylum that had been his home for 38 years, and returned to the U.S., where died in 1920.

The Oxford English Dictionary, the supreme authority on the English language, containing the definitions of 414,825 words and 1,827,306 quotations illustrating the use of those words, had finally been born, some 70 years after its conception. Although hundreds, perhaps thousands, of men and women were involved in this mammoth task, its unlikely it would have achieved such a level of excellence without the extraordinary efforts of the professor and the madman.

The saga of the OED, however, is far from over. In our next issue of The KellyGram, well present the rest of the story.

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A WORD OF THANKS

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Im indebted to Neil Dempster, a fellow board member of National Speakers Association-Arizona, for recommending The Professor and the Madman to me. [Many thanks, Neil, for introducing me to such a great book, and to the fascinating story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.]

Neil uses a creative play on words in his promotional materials, which describe him as a "professional speaker" and as a "trainer/resultant." I can certainly testify to some excellent results from the time we spent together last month.

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THE QUOTE CORNER (Words)

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In line with our lead article, it seemed appropriate to feature "words" as our quote topic of the month. Other quotations about words appeared in our July 2004 issue which, like all prior issues, is available on our website: www.wordcrafters.info.

The investigation of the meaning of words is the beginning of education.

Antisthenes

We rule the world by our words.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.

Winston Churchill

Words are the leaves of the tree of language, of which, if some fall away, a new succession takes their place.

John French

A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes, and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons.

Aldous Huxley

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesnt use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"

A.A. Milne

Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. Kind words also produce their image on mens souls, and a beautiful image it is. They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the hearer.

Blaise Pascal

Words arethe most powerful narcotic, the most potent stimulant, the most remarkable hallucinogen ever devised. Words teach, they sing, they hurt, they sanctify. They also degrade, inflame, mislead andlieWords also infect people with a rage to parrot. Every new vogue in verbiage becomes a stampede.

Leo Rosten

A writer lives in awe of words, for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator.

John Steinbeck

All our words will be useless unless they come from within words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.

Mother Teresa

Words should be an intense pleasure just as leather should be to a shoemaker.

Evelyn Waugh

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,

The saddest are these: "It might have been."

John Greenleaf Whittier

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• Could you use an assist with that article youre writing?

• Do you have a book project youve been struggling to finish or even start?

• Would you like some great quotations to liven up your speech, article or book?

• Are you looking for ways to put more zing into your marketing materials?

• Do you need someone to proof and/or edit something youve written?

If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, we can help. After all, weve been doing it for 25 years for dozens of satisfied clients. We guarantee our work, and we never charge a fee for an initial review or consultation. Call us at (480) 895-7617 and let us show you how we can make you look good on paper.

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FEELING UNAPPRECIATED?

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Do bank tellers close their windows just before its your turn? Do panhandlers on the street offer you money? Were you on Mother Teresas enemies list?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, consider the following:

"Xvxn though thx kxyboard on my old computxr has startxd to show a lot of wxar and txar, it works vxry wxll xxcxpt for onx kxy. You would think that with all thx othxr kxys functioning propxrly, onx kxy not working would hardly bx noticxd, but just onx kxy out of whack sxxms to ruin thx xntirx xffort.

You may say to yoursxlf: "Wxll, Im only onx pxrson. No onx will xvxn noticx if I dont quitx do my bxst." But it doxs makx a diffxrxncx bxcausx, to bx xffxctivx, xvxry organization, whxthxr it bx a businxss, an association, a nonprofit agxncy, a church, a txam or a social club, nxxds activx participation by xvxry onx to thx bxst of his or hxr ability.

So thx nxxt timx you think yourx not important, or that your xfforts arxnt nxxdxd or apprxciatxd, rxmxmbxr my old kxyboard. You arx indxxd a kxy pxrson."

(Source Unknown)

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SMILE AWHILE

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Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, its important to keep mentally alert. The saying; "If you don't use it, youll lose it," also applies to the brain, so....take the following test and determine if youre losing it, or are still "with it." OK, relax, clear your mind and begin.

1. What do you put in a toaster?

Answer: "bread." If you said "toast," give up now and do something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, "bread," go to Question 2.

2. Say "silk" five times. Now spell "silk." What do cows drink?

Answer: Cows drink water. If you said "milk," please dont attempt to answer the next question. Your brain is obviously overstressed. Try reading something more appropriate, such as "Childrens World." If you said "water," proceed to question 3.

3. Youre in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

Answer: If you said "first," youre absolutely wrong again! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, youre second! Try not to louse up in the next question.

4. If you overtake the last person, then you are...?

Answer: If you said "second to last," wrong again! Tell us, how can you overtake the LAST person? Today is definitely not your day, but well give you one more shot.

5. This must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper and pencil, or a calculator.

Take 1000 and add 40; add another 1000; add 30; add another 1000; add 20; add another 1000; add 10. Whats the total?

Answer: 4,100. Don't believe it? Check with your calculator! If you said, "5,000" or anything other than "4,100," youre obviously out of your league. Turn in your pencil, and exit the room.

Everyone else proceed to the final question.

6. Mary's father has five daughters: Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. Whats the name of the fifth daughter?

Answer: Nunu? NO! NO! Of course not. The fifth daughters name is Mary. Read the question again.

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A FINAL WORD

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Whats in a word? Consider the difference between "wise man" and wise guy," or the difference between these two similar but vastly different statements: a) "When I look at you, time stands still." b) "Your face would stop a clock."

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© 2004 by Bob Kelly. All rights reserved.