In Land of Lexicons, Having the Last Word

An interesting article in the New York Times. Interview with the newly appointed editor of the Oxford American Dictionary. She is young and articulate. The article also paints pictures of others in this new generation of lexicographers, ('Ms. McKean is part of the next wave of top lexicographers who have already or may soon take over guardianship of the nation's language, and who disprove Samuel Johnson's definition of a lexicographer as "a harmless drudge"'),and comments on the current state of dictionary construction. 'Sidney I. Landau, a former editor of Cambridge Dictionaries and the author of "Dictionaries: The Art And Craft of Lexicography" (and at 71, a member of an older generation), said a shift in people's interests had also played a part. "In the early part of the 20th century, science and technology were very big in terms of marketing dictionaries, and they'd make claims about having 8,000 words dealing with electricity or mechanics," he explained. But now, he added, "I think there has been a shift in terms of recognizing the importance of youth culture and slang."' Read the complete article.