|
|
May 2005Notable and QuotableMay 27 is a day rich in birthdays of well-known writers. Dashiell Hammett, John Cheever, and Herman Wouk, among others, share this birthday. They also share the distinction of being frequently quoted in Merriam-Webster dictionaries. See examples! Finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. June 2005Notable and QuotableSaul Bellow and Dorothy Sayers both have birthdays in June (Bellow would have turned ninety). By odd coincidence, they are also both quoted at the same entry in Webster's Third—gink. Never heard of gink? Don't feel bad; neither had we. See these quotes and others from Bellow and Sayers. Finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate Dictionary—and click on Advanced Search. Type the name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. August 2005Notable and QuotableMary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born August 30, 1797. Her first and best-known novel, Frankenstein, gave our language the word Frankenstein. It also gave the editors of Webster’s Third copious material for examples of words used in context—assembled here. Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate®—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. October 2005Notable and QuotableAmerican lexicographer Noah Webster, born in 1758, and Irish writer Oscar Wilde, born in 1854, share an October 16 birthday. Webster tracked language but Wilde toyed with it. That may explain why Webster is quoted only three times in the Webster’s Third, while the witty Wilde appears 86 times. Here’s a small collection of some colorful Wilde words, and a few from Noah. Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. November 2005Notable and QuotableThe words of humorist Mark Twain, who was born November 30, 1835, appear throughout Webster’s Third to illustrate words used in context. Click here to start your tour. Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. January 2006Notable and Quotable: Ben FranklinJanuary’s 300th birth anniversary of Benjamin Franklin is getting plenty of coverage, and our attention is drawn to the 15 instances of Franklin’s writing that serve to illustrate the meanings of words in the Unabridged Dictionary. Even more notable is how those 15 examples reveal so much about the life and times of the statesman-philosopher. Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. February 2006Notable and QuotableWhy not mark Presidents’ Day with a visit to the Unabridged Dictionary? We pulled out a selection of quotations (some familiar, others less so) from Presidents Washington and Lincoln as examples of words used in context. Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on SEARCH. March 2006Notable and QuotableMarch 6 marks the birthday of the 19th-century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. An author's search under the name Browning turns up 163 instances of words used in context in the Unabridged. Eighteen of those citations are credited to Elizabeth Barrett Browning; almost all the others are attributed to her husband, Robert Browning. Remember, finding quotations from an author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged Dictionary or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. April 2006Notable and Quotable: William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth was both born and died in the month of April (April 7, 1770 - April 23, 1850). Quotations from the Romantic poet are used to illustrate word senses for 134 entries in the Unabridged Dictionary. We've collected a few dozen of the more poetic examples. Remember, finding quotations from a poet or author is easy. Just choose your reference—the Unabridged or the Collegiate—and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author Quoted box and click on Search. May 2006Notable and Quotable: Alexander PopeMay is the birth month and the death month for Alexander Pope. The English poet lived only 56 years (1688-1744), but his prolific output and artful use of language earned him more than 100 quotations in Merriam-Webster's Unabridged. We've gathered some of the more unusual quotations used to illustrate words or senses that are either archaic or obsolete. June 2006Notable and QuotableJune 25 marks the 103rd birth anniversary of author George Orwell (born Eric Blair). Orwell lived less than half a century, but his words live on in his novels (1984 and Animal Farm) and also in the dictionary. See a a sampling of the quotations that appear in the Unabridged Dictionary. For a list of all thirty-two, select the Unabridged as your reference source, click on Advanced Search, and type Orwell into the Author field, and click on Search. September 2006Notable and QuotableCritic and writer Dorothy Parker was born August 22, 1893. Her biting wit is well-known, but did you know her words also illustrate seven entries in the Unabridged Dictionary. It's easy to check on writers whose words are quoted in the dictionary. First, choose your reference, then click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click on Search. October 2006Notable and QuotableBritish writer Graham Greene was born October 2, 1904. The novelist famed for his exploration of moral ambiguities is cited close to three dozen times in the Unabridged Dictionary. Some of his citations are for obscure words; many consist of colorful descriptions. But all feature fine writing. It's easy to check on writers whose words are quoted in the dictionary. First, choose your reference, then click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click on Search. November 2006Notable and QuotableSir Winston Churchill is remembered as the leader of Great Britain during World War II, but he is also honored as an orator and the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Quotations from the writer and historian appear at more than a hundred entries in the Unabridged. We put together a list of our favorites. It's easy to check on writers whose words are quoted in the dictionary. Choose your reference, then click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click on Search. January 2007Notable and Quotable: Francis BaconEnglish philosopher Francis Bacon was born January 22, 1561. His influence lives on, as do his words, which are sprinkled throughout the Unabridged, primarily to illustrate senses now obsolete or archaic. We pulled out a few colorful examples. It's easy to check on writers whose words are quoted in the dictionary. Choose your reference, then click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click on Search. February 2007Notable and Quotable: W.H. AudenFebruary 21 is the birth centennial of critic and poet Wystan Hugh Auden, considered to be one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Quotations from Auden appear in more than 30 entries in the Unabridged. We've picked out an even dozen; three of them are words now labeled archaic, but all have the ring of the poet. It's easy to check on writers whose words are quoted in the dictionary. Choose your reference, then click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click on Search. March 2007Notable and Quotable: Jack KerouacBeat writer Jack Kerouac was born March 12, 1922, and his most popular work, On the Road, turns 50 this year. Dead at 47, Kerouac filled his life and his notebooks with wild times and colorful words. Thirteen of those terms are used to illustrate senses of words in the Unabridged Dictionary. Interested in searching out instances of your favorite author making the dictionary? It's easy to find them. Pick the Collegiate or Unabridged as your reference source, click Advanced Search, type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click on Search. April 2007Notable and Quotable: Thornton WilderNovelist and dramatist Thornton Wilder was born April 17, 1897. The two-time Pulitzer prizewinner had four siblings, all of whom were similarly accomplished. If you do an author search on Wilder in the Unabridged, you'll come up with 34 hits; of those, only 9 belong to Thornton Wilder. (Other Wilders quoted include Wilder Hobson, Robert Wilder, and Thornton's brother, Amos Wilder). Wondering if words from a favorite author appear as examples of word usage in the dictionary? It's easy to check. Select the Unabridged as your reference source, click on Advanced Search, type the last name of the author in the Authors Quoted field, and click Search. May 2007Notable and Quotable: Katherine Anne PorterBorn in May 1890, Pulitzer Prize winner Katherine Anne Porter wrote about the nature of evil and the darker side of humanity. A master of the short story, her words appear at 18 entries in the Unabridged Dictionary to illustrate words used in context. Here's a sampling. Interested in finding examples of a favorite author in context? Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search. June 2007Notable and Quotable: Harriet Beecher StoweSupposedly, Abraham Lincoln, when introduced to Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1862, remarked, "So this is the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!" The quotation is apocryphal, but words from Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin and who was born on June 14, 1811 — turn up at a half dozen places in the Unabridged. Interested in finding words from a favorite author in the dictionary? It's easy. Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search. September 2007Notable Quotable: William FaulknerWith the new school year upon us, literature students will once again be delving into the novels of American writer William Faulkner, born September 25, 1897. The Pulitzer Prize winner is known for his powerful use of language. He is quoted at more than seven dozen entries in the Unabridged Dictionary, and we've pulled out a few favorites. October 2007Notable and Quotable: Dwight D. EisenhowerThe third of seven sons, Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Texas on October 14, 1890. He grew up to attend West Point, rise to a five-star Army General, be named first Supreme Commander of NATO, and serve two terms as U.S. President. Eisenhower is also quoted at 54 places in the Unabridged Dictionary . . . and many of those citations concern war and peace. Interested in finding examples from a favorite author in the dictionary? Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search. November 2007Notable and Quotable: Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Stevenson, born November 13, 1850, wrote dozens of verses, short stories, and novels before his death at age 44. The author of Treasure Island was himself a treasure trove of terms for lexicographers seeking examples of word senses in context; many of the 171 places he is quoted in the Unabridged Dictionary highlight terms that are archaic, dialectal, chiefly Scottish . . . or some combination. Interested in finding words from a favorite author in the dictionary? It's easy. Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search. January 2008Notable and Quotable: Edgar Allan PoeAmerican poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809. Credited as one of the forefathers of science fiction and the detective fiction genre, his words live on in the Unabridged as seen in these examples. Interested in finding words from a favorite author in the dictionary? Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search. February 2008Notable and Quotable: Edna St. Vincent MillayAmerican poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, who was born Feb 22, 1892, famously "burned the candle at both ends." She lived, loved, and put her experiences to poetry before her death in 1950. In addition to becoming the first woman awarded a Pulitzer Prize, Millay earned a spot in the Unabridged Dictionary for 38 attributed quotations, some of which we present below. Interested in finding words from a favorite author in the dictionary? Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search. March 2008Notable and Quotable: Ring LardnerBorn on March 6, 1885, humorist Ring Lardner was known for short stories and sports writing, and he was widely admired for his keen ear for the vernacular. He died young, before the age of 50, but he left his mark in multiple citations in the Unabridged Dictionary. Interested in finding all 56 entries credited to writers named Lardner? It's easy. Choose the Unabridged as your reference and click on Advanced Search. Type Lardner in the Author field and click Search. The 39 Lardner citations that don't trace to Ring are divided up among Ring Lardner's sons and other relatives from this literary family. April 2008Notable and Quotable: Washington IrvingApril 3rd marks 225 years since the birth of Washington Irving in 1783. One of the earliest truly American authors, Irving wrote History of New York under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker. Over time, knickerbocker became a nickname for a native or resident of the city or state of New York. Irving's effect on the lexicon doesn't end there, and his writing is used to illustrate several entries in the Unabridged (including one explaining the usage of the word learn). Interested in finding instances of another author in the dictionary? It's easy. Choose the Unabridged as your reference and click on Advanced Search. Type in the last name in the Author field and click Search. May 2008Notable and Quotable: Henry KissingerItalian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli was born May 3, 1469; German-born diplomat and academic Henry Kissinger, who has been described as the 20th century's Machiavelli, was born May 27, 1923. Machiavelli wrote The Prince and advised rulers that "it is better to be feared than loved." Kissinger, who exercised realpolitik from the Nixon White House, told The New York Times, "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." Machiavelli isn't quoted in the Unabridged (he wrote in Italian), but Kissinger's words are used to illustrate five different nouns. Interested in finding examples of a favorite author in the dictionary? It's easy. Choose the Unabridged as your reference and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name in the Author field and click Search. June 2008Notable and Quotable: William Butler YeatsBorn June 13, 1865, William Butler Yeats was a Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet and dramatist. Renowned for his spiritualism and his strong nationalism, this leading figure in 20th century literature is quoted at more than 100 entries in the Unabridged to illustrate word senses, of which we've selected a colorful dozen. Interested in finding instances of another author in the dictionary? It's easy. Choose the Unabridged as your reference and click on Advanced Search. Type in the last name in the Author field and click Search. September 2008Notable and Quotable: H.L. MenckenJournalist Henry Louis Mencken, the "Sage of Baltimore," was born September 12, 1880. His biting wit and way with words earned him spots at 119 entries in the Unabridged Dictionary. We've picked out 12 favorite examples of his words in context, but it's easy to see the whole list. Click on the Unabridged for your reference and click on Advanced Search. Type Mencken in the "Author Quoted" field and click on Search. October 2008Notable and Quotable: Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt was born October 27, 1858. The 26th president's refusal to shoot a captured bear on a hunting trip inspired the name teddy bear, and he also helped popularize the phrase bully pulpit. But of the 171 entries in the Unabridged which include "Roosevelt" in examples of actual usage, fewer than a dozen trace back to Theodore Roosevelt (almost all the others credit his younger cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt). Interested in finding citations from a particular author? Choose either the Collegiate or the Unabridged as a reference and click on Advanced Search. Then type the last name in the "Author Quoted" field, and click on Search. |