I just learned about an amazing GitHub project / iOS app:
A Websterâs Dictionary from 1913.
I know that might not SOUND interesting, but hear me out!!
A Websterâs Dictionary from 1913.
I know that might not SOUND interesting, but hear me out!!
During a YouTube livestream someone asked @craigmod about the apps on his home screen. One was a dictionary! He said it was inspired by a @jsomers article from 2014 called âYouâre probably using the wrong dictionary.â
You should absolutely read it: https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary
You should absolutely read it: https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary
TLDR: Modern dictionaries are boring because definitions are "desiccated little husks of technocratic meaningese, as if a word were no more than its coordinates in semantic space.â Not so with older dictionaries! Hereâs how @jsomers describes Webster's definition of âflashâ:
What's so great about a dictionary that's well-written? It's not just a place to look up words you donât know. Itâs a resource to help you WRITE BETTER. @jsomers found this out from John McPhee, and describes the way he used the dictionary as a primary writing tool:
All of this to say, you better believe that I IMMEDIATELY found the Github project which lets me install an Actually Good Dictionary on my Mac. Want to be get inspired by just looking up words yourself? Give it a download: https://github.com/aparks517/convert-websters