February 2009

Notable and Quotable: James Joyce

James Joyce, praised as one of the most influential writers in the English language, was born February 2, 1882. His words appear at 43 entries in the Unabridged. One of his more memorable phrasings appears last on the list. Here's a sampling.

Curious about a notable person's contributions to the dictionary? Select the Unabridged and click on Advanced Search. Type the author's last name in the Author field, and click Search.

abstract verb
"his imagination had so abstracted him that his name was called twice before he answered"

area noun
"went down the steps into the area of a house"

candid adjective
"to tell you my private and candid opinion ... I think he's a man from the other camp"

career verb
"sightseers had gathered in clumps to watch the cars careering homeward"

deal (with) verb
"she dealt with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat"

discompose verb
"he was still discomposed by the girl's bitter and sudden retort"

heighten verb
"though the color had heightened in his cheek, he did not flinch from his friend's gaze"

someway adverb
"tried to make him someway decent"

survey verb
"she ... surveyed herself in the pier glass"

yes adverb
"yes I said yes I will yes"