Finding word origins - Wordsmith.org

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Often it is very difficult to pin down word origins because online dictionaries are so condensed they usu don't include it nor date first used

Here's a technique I sometimes find successful: Go to Google Advanced Search, entering the expression in the "all" box. In the "at least one" box, enter

wordwizard-com wordorigins-org phrases-org wordsmith-org wordcraft-infopop

Subsequently you won't have to retype the latter because it will reside in a handy drop-down

You will find Advanced Search has other dandy features you will quickly learn to appreciate

What the firkin eel has this got to do with this forum 'Wordplay & Fun'?!

Mav: Felt it was being neglected

We had firkin eel one cold rainy afternoon in a little Irish pub where they jellied the things and served them with a bit of toast. Not good but not bad, either.

> Often it is very difficult to pin down word origins because online dictionaries are so condensed they usu don't include it nor date first used

Not a problem that I find with the OED online.

Jmh: If the online OED to which you make reference is a free service, and if it's no trouble, I wonder if you'd provide the URL--Thanks kindly

It's a very expensive annual sub, Dale. Jo will prolly be accessing it via her Open University e-library; many people can do it by similar routes through their local library services.

Quote:

It's a very expensive annual sub, Dale. Jo will prolly be accessing it via her Open University e-library; many people can do it by similar routes through their local library services.

Just a clarification. Describing the OED sub as "very expensive" is analogous to describing the sun as "a tad warm".

I agree, I don't have to subscribe personally, I get access through ATHENS (a UK university permissions service), via my university log in. I've used the college library occasionally and e-mailed myself with the results. I would have thought that public libraries would have free OED access? I might just check that out with my local library.

The other thing is to keep a look out for offers. A few weeks ago the BBC offered free OED access through their programme Balderdash and Piffle for a limited period, so the cost is not always stratospheric.

Here's the TV programme link, with OED access for the words that they have been researching. I know this does not meet a need for open access but worth a look.

I'll re-post the link in Q&A, so that any word, based discussion of the contents can be in the appropriate place.
Balderdash and Piffle - BBC UK

Here's the OED link for the words that have been re-considered following the series:
OED Words reviewed

A timely announcement for all those living on the Good side of the pond:

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:00:00

Oxford University Press And The Museums, Libraries And Archives Council Announce A Landmark Agreement
Prestigious national resources such as the online edition of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and the Oxford English Dictionary Online will soon be available to public library members across England following a ground-breaking agreement between Oxford University Press (OUP) and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

As part of the new Reference Online initiative launched today by the MLA (see www.mla.gov.uk/website/programmes/online_initiatives/reference_online), OUP is delighted to announce that 142 public library authorities in England have joined together for the first time to share the cost of a national licence for a range of OUP's online resources.

By negotiating on behalf of all English public library authorities, the MLA has been able to secure a special national offer, enabling libraries to extend the range of online resources they can make available to their members.

The popularity of the national offer means that, from either 1 March or 1 April 2006 (depending on subscription start dates) until 31 March 2008, over 48 million English residents will be able to explore OUP online resources free of charge by joining their local library. Access will be available in libraries, but members can also log on from home at anytime using their library card number.

Henry Reece, OUP's Chief Executive, says:

I am very pleased that Oxford has been able to support the launch of the Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council's Reference Online initiative with a national offer, and that so many library authorities have already chosen to participate.

The Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography are works of great national interest and standing which OUP has developed over many decades, and which exemplify our mission to disseminate excellent and authoritative scholarship as widely as possible.

The great success of the OUP/MLA national offer means that that these works, alongside a selection of other online reference resources from Oxford, can be consulted and enjoyed by millions of library members in England both in their local libraries and from home.

For further information please contact Kate Farquhar-Thomson, Head of Publicity, OUP on 01865 353423 or kate.farquhar-thomson@oup.com.

A full list of the libraries participating in the offer, the resources they are subscribing to, and the subscription start dates is available at Oxford Online .

Notes to Editors
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world's largest and most international of university presses. Founded in 1478, it currently publishes more than 4,500 new books a year, has a presence in over fifty countries, and employs some 3,700 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, children's books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and journals....

mav: Yes I've heard it's $200-$300 a year. However, thank you for the tip on possible free online subs. I have a very high-paid and resourceful No. 1 Son, an IT, who knows how to do these things, and he is often at odds when he needs to find me a birthday gift