Nowdays, (inspite of my collection of over 30 dictionariesalas, the compact OED is not one) i find i look thing up on line.

have you used OneLook? its positively addicting..

meanwhile i have come to accept the fact that certain words will have to come, and come again, and come again into my consciousness before i remember them. (but eventually they do sink in..
(search here at AWAD for spree.. (yes, twice i started posts, each time claiming this was a new idea.--and that's just the example i can remember!)



my other obsession