3 ms·

A much more thorough discussion of this cultural icon than yesterday's Telegraph article (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1645180 http://news.ycombinator.co

A much more thorough discussion of this cultural icon than yesterday's Telegraph article (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1645180 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1645180), so excuse me for supporting it with a rehash of my comment there - The OED is the #1 item on my geek to-buy list. Even as a bespoke item (possibly more than the $1600 mentioned here) I hope the 20+ volume edition of OED3 is ultimately available. I may be able to justify the expense in another decade, when it's due for completion.

kranner 16y ago
Buy the CD. I kept a Windows virtual machine around for a long time just for my OED CD. They need to lose that DRM scheme though.
- JacobAldridge 16y ago
  But where's the geek cred in a CD? I want to be able to point out my volumes to guests. And, sad but true, I am known to flick through my 'Fowler's Guide to Modern English' randomly reading interesting words and phrases; that's what I want to do with my OED.
  - kranner 16y ago
    I presume you mean Fowler's Modern English Usage. Very underrated in our barbaric times. I believe the bit on hyphenation carries on for 14 four-column pages?
gwern 16y ago
Grab the compact OED, perhaps? It's no longer $200 new, but you could get it used. And the compact one is heavier & bigger than any volume of the 20+vol edition, so it keeps the physicalness in spades.
- kranner 16y ago
  And don't forget the magnifying glass that comes with it.
  - JacobAldridge 16y ago
    See again - where's the geek cred in a compact edition and magnifying glass? I want the 'I built this bookcase especially' kind of moment when my guests arrive, more so than the 'Wow, aren't Jacob's biceps large for such a complete nerd?' kind of moment.
    - gwern 16y ago
      > See again - where's the geek cred in a compact edition and magnifying glass? Performance art. When some fool has questioned my mastery of the English language, and I have pummeled him into submission by reciting aloud the definition, I can then stare at him through the magnifying glass. One large eye, blinking.

kranner 16y ago

Buy the CD. I kept a Windows virtual machine around for a long time just for my OED CD. They need to lose that DRM scheme though.

JacobAldridge 16y ago
But where's the geek cred in a CD? I want to be able to point out my volumes to guests. And, sad but true, I am known to flick through my 'Fowler's Guide to Modern English' randomly reading interesting words and phrases; that's what I want to do with my OED.
- kranner 16y ago
  I presume you mean Fowler's Modern English Usage. Very underrated in our barbaric times. I believe the bit on hyphenation carries on for 14 four-column pages?

gwern 16y ago

Grab the compact OED, perhaps? It's no longer $200 new, but you could get it used. And the compact one is heavier & bigger than any volume of the 20+vol edition, so it keeps the physicalness in spades.

kranner 16y ago
And don't forget the magnifying glass that comes with it.
- JacobAldridge 16y ago
  See again - where's the geek cred in a compact edition and magnifying glass? I want the 'I built this bookcase especially' kind of moment when my guests arrive, more so than the 'Wow, aren't Jacob's biceps large for such a complete nerd?' kind of moment.
  - gwern 16y ago
    > See again - where's the geek cred in a compact edition and magnifying glass? Performance art. When some fool has questioned my mastery of the English language, and I have pummeled him into submission by reciting aloud the definition, I can then stare at him through the magnifying glass. One large eye, blinking.