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Per Merriam-Webster, which for the benefit of international HNers I will mention is a well-known English dictionary: “the quality or fact of meriting reward or

Per Merriam-Webster, which for the benefit of international HNers I will mention is a well-known English dictionary: “the quality or fact of meriting reward or punishment”

airstrike 4y ago
This seems like a good opportunity to plug the American Heritage Dictionary, which in my experience is at least a couple notches better than Merriam-Webster despite their website being stuck in 1999 (maybe that's a good thing?) https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=desert https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=desert de·sert (dĭ-zûrt) n. 1. (often "deserts") Something that is deserved or merited, especially a punishment: They got their just deserts when the scheme was finally uncovered. 2. The state or fact of deserving reward or punishment.
- Kye 4y ago
  I think it's interesting that their treatment of singular they is more thorough than Merriam-Webster's, manages to address people on the dissenting side with some empathy, and still recognizes that its widespread usage[0] means it would be silly to not include that usage. https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=they https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=they [0] To the point that even people complaining about it use singular they in their complaints without realizing it.
- nightpool 4y ago
  Also a good opportunity to plug Webster's original English dictionary, which has a lot of very florid and evocative definitions that make it much more fun to open a dictionary https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert > DESERT, noun > > 1. A deserving; that which gives a right to reward or demands, or which renders liable to punishment; merit or demerit; that which entitles to a recompense of equal to the offense; good conferred, or evil done, which merits an equivalent return. A wise legislature will reward or punish men according to their deserts. > > 2. That which is deserved; reward or punishment merited. In a future life, every man will receive his desert S/o to https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary for opening my eyes here

Per Merriam-Webster, which for the benefit of international HNers I will mention is a well-known English dictionary: “the quality or fact of meriting reward or punishment”

airstrike 4y ago

This seems like a good opportunity to plug the American Heritage Dictionary, which in my experience is at least a couple notches better than Merriam-Webster despite their website being stuck in 1999 (maybe that's a good thing?) https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=desert https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=desert de·sert (dĭ-zûrt) n. 1. (often "deserts") Something that is deserved or merited, especially a punishment: They got their just deserts when the scheme was finally uncovered. 2. The state or fact of deserving reward or punishment.

Kye 4y ago
I think it's interesting that their treatment of singular they is more thorough than Merriam-Webster's, manages to address people on the dissenting side with some empathy, and still recognizes that its widespread usage[0] means it would be silly to not include that usage. https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=they https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=they [0] To the point that even people complaining about it use singular they in their complaints without realizing it.
nightpool 4y ago
Also a good opportunity to plug Webster's original English dictionary, which has a lot of very florid and evocative definitions that make it much more fun to open a dictionary https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert > DESERT, noun > > 1. A deserving; that which gives a right to reward or demands, or which renders liable to punishment; merit or demerit; that which entitles to a recompense of equal to the offense; good conferred, or evil done, which merits an equivalent return. A wise legislature will reward or punish men according to their deserts. > > 2. That which is deserved; reward or punishment merited. In a future life, every man will receive his desert S/o to https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary https://jsomers.net/blog/dictionary for opening my eyes here