Okay, I've been lurking here for a while (in my professional capacity as a lexicographer) but finally think I have something of interest to post. (I hope this isn't too spamalicious.)

Oxford Univ. Press has a fairly difficult word quiz up on their site (http://www.oup-usa.org/noad/quiz.html). The password is "kulcha." If your correct entry is chosen, you win $10,000 of Oxford books. (That's ten complete OEDs for those of you who want ten complete OEDs.)

Feel free to email me with questions, but I can't give you any answers. Posting here is all I can do...I want to see a real word person win this.

thanks erin-- if you've been lurking, you know we usually come down like a ton of bricks on spammers, and while this crowd is more likely than most to Know (and love) the OED than most..still you're on thin ice.. at least you are kind enought to recognize your post as border line spam.

but i have been seeing the OED quiz ads day after day-- they are always just above the NYTimes crossword.. and i have been meaning to post the same information... I bet you'll still have all the die hards AWAD fans looking at it anyway.. especially since you're not really selling the OED or the OAD-- you are attempting to give it away! this quiz is presumable for the new OAD --Oxford American Dictionary--

i think that the quiz is for the OAD is vital.. as you should know.. many contributers here still use old fashioned English english.. and while we are honored, they need to be honoured.. and when they get mad, their faces turn the colour red-- not to labour the point too much!

Took the quizz and filled in the address form as to where to send the prizes!

Talk about living in a dream world!

Good grief--is nowhere safe from poor editing? Here's a quote from the rules:
One entry person, please.

Jackie, I wonder whether that could mean that there is only one person who should be entered, please.

One entry person, please

Now this reminds me of a little misunderstanding which occurred when I sent in my order for tickets to the annual MSU basketball bust. We wanted tickets at a table with a couple of friends of ours, whose surname is "Person." Per the system for getting adjacent seats, we sent in our applications together, in the same envelope, with a note on mine saying, "please seat us with the Persons, whose application is also enclosed." Sure enough, I got a call the next week from the ticket office, and the woman said, "I see that you want your tickets with your friends, but what is their name?" I didn't mind the confusion over "Persons," but I was woefully distressed that someone would think I would write such an egregious sentence as was understood by the reader. Ack!

Jackie:

You misconstrued the error. This is only a subtle way of excluding females from the contest.

TEd

Does this mean since I have already entered you all would be wasting your time? Who am I kidding? tsuwm is probably perusing that 20-volume set as this is written!
watching for the mailman -e.

>Who am I kidding? tsuwm is probably perusing that 20-volume set as this is written!

actually, I found all of the answers within my many other fine references (but certainly not all in one!), except for the 'depends on' vs. 'depends upon' question. which do you suppose the OAD usage folk give as the proper form of formality? (everything I've seen says both are equally fine and dandy, but perhaps one is preferred specifically with depends.)

Using all my force of will to leave puns on depends/Depends to those more qualified (everyone!)

perhaps one is preferred specifically with depends.
Depends upon what, she asked? [batting eyelashes innocently e]

Free proofreading, I love it. I've sent a hasty email to the web guy to fix "One entry person, please."

I do think that one person is going to get the job of sorting all the entries so perhaps that was a plea for help on the part of the web guy.

It's nice to see all the responses. I expected three flames (two spam, one spelling), five in-jokes and two silly puns. (This being the message-board average.)

Should I start an "ask a lexicographer" thread? I could try to drag some of my colleagues in as well, both from OUP and other places. I'm sure people would ask about words and dictionary procedure, but I can also offer handy stain-removal tips and delicious recipes, as well as advice for the lovelorn...

OOOH. Recipes! Stain removal tips! Advice to the lovelorn! Naughty Erin for merely lurking all this time! Give us what you've got, my dear. Don't hold out on us any longer.

Should I start an "ask a lexicographer" thread?

Oh, yes, please!

wait a minute-- i have already been displace as the food thread queen--[honestly, lately all i have to do is just hint at a food fight and everyone gets back to words] and now i am getting more competition?

and do we have any lovelorn? We have Jackie doing a little bit of match making-- but lovelorn? nah!

what we do need to know is your sense of humor. are you one of the gutter police? or better yet, do you make occasional forays into the gutter? a dog lover? and just how shaggy is your dog?

we have and love our dear tsuwm when we want to end an argruement by consulting the OED-- sheer expertice abounds. what else do you have to offer..

maybe you should send an email to Anu, the wordsmith-- and join us for a chat!

about half of us here have read Winchester's the professor and the madman we know how the oed got going the first time.. it might be interesting to join a discussion on how thing have changed. (i noted in the back of my copy of the book an invitation to join in and help OUP with new additions-- so that hasn't changed.)

but you don't really need our permission.. you're always welcome to join us--just remember how things work.. a 90 posting thread on footnotes doesn't have a single ibid.

I've sent a hasty email to the web guy to fix "One entry person, please."
Oh my goodness--I didn't know anyone official would come back and see that!   again!

But, Ms. Erin, I agree completely with consuelo, who said,
OOOH. Recipes! Stain removal tips! Advice to the lovelorn! Naughty Erin for merely lurking all this time! Give us what you've got, my dear. Don't hold out on us any longer.

And yes, go ahead with "Ask a lexicographer", by all means, please.

Helen, thank you for the ibid. reminder--that gave me an idea: can we say that YART = op. cit.?

That would be a Bonanza, ma'am.