Don't we have dictionaries at home any more?

Question

Someone asks what a word or a set of initials means. Several different answers appear. Which one's right? How can you possibly tell?
Some are correct, some are mistaken, some are simply mischeivous - fair enough, some people just come here for a laugh.
But wouldn't it be better for the questioner to look up the answer in a dictionary, where you just get the truth?

Gordon.
The oldest word reference book I have is a 1962 copy of Roget. Embolden is in that.
lol

Pedestal.
'Sigh'

Answer 1

whut iz a dicktionary?

Answer 2

I agree with your premise, but-

I have 32 distinct dictionaries, not including thesauri (Yes, that is the plural of thesaurus). However, I am a Philologist (origin and evolution of languages) and we write the darn things.

Even in the dictionaries, truth is a relative thing. In a 5-10 year old dictionary, you wouldn't find entries for TCP/IP, The Internet (Intertubes, if you prefer), Hip-Hop, or "Embolden"(sorry, I just threw that in). And many dictionaries disagree on the definitions and etymology (history of a word).

Even so, 98 % of the time I use search engines to look up words.
1. Faster
2. More options with less effort
3. 32 is quite a few books to look through
4. I'm bloody lazy

However, except when I am going for a laugh, I don't answer questions with BS. If I don't know the answer, I don't answer.

Also, It is frequently obvious when an answer is silly or off the wall. For instance, someone answering a racial question when their user name is KKKmember, should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

Answer 3

I have MANY dictionaries, but sometimes when you do a crossword for example the same words can have many meanings and yet the dictionary doesnt give the one/s you need. I have just joined up here and I have asked 3 of these questions and have been given the right answers where my dictionaries/thesaurus' have not been able to help.

Answer 4

Dictionaries? Possibly the majority don't have books any more. It's an "islands" thing. Most of your friends and acquaintances will, broadly, be like you.
Many years ago I was shocked by a survey which found that, excluding such things as cookbooks books per HOUSEHOLD in their sample in the UK had averaged...
Five.
I looked around me, and thought, well, I've got a couple of streets worth, at least.
So there are people who read books, and enough to keep Waterstones etc. in business. But many who never touch one.

Answer 5

We have a dictionary, however I tend to rely on the internet more and more for fact finding. I have a laptop in the living room and a permanent broadband wireless connection - it's just easier and more fun to type something into google than it is to go and look in a book.

Answer 6

It would be better. I have between 5 -7. Plus I always have a second window open to check or search online for information.

Answer 7

My children certainly don't use dictionaries. Their logic is why go to the bother of turning pages when you can just easily click it up on a screen.

Some on-line dictionaries are very good though - I just don't understand why computer literate people don't bother turning to these if they don't fancy looking it up in an old fashioned book.

Answer 8

I have a dictionary and a thesaurus, but I guess a lot of people just rely on the inbuilt one in their computer.

Answer 9

the truth? what if there is an error in a printed dictionary?

at least an online dictionary or wikipedia can be corrected and updated daily

Answer 10

Yes, but then where would the mystery be??? If we did everything the right way then were would the adventures be in life? Let your hair down...have a drink...watch the sunset...life is to be savored not done correctly!!!

Answer 11

A lot of people here have never seen a dictionary before, let alone used one!!!