Peter Sokolowski
@petersokolowski.bsky.social
Dictionary ambassador, Merriam-Webster.
YES the cake has THUMB TABS
November 18, 2025 at 7:35 PM
YES the cake has THUMB TABS
I'm giving a talk on Friday @smithcollege.bsky.social about the surprising parallels in the history of the first vernacular monolingual dictionaries in English and French, part of the SE17 French Studies Conference.
November 4, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I'm giving a talk on Friday @smithcollege.bsky.social about the surprising parallels in the history of the first vernacular monolingual dictionaries in English and French, part of the SE17 French Studies Conference.
Today is the TEOTENNIAL, the 100th birthday anniversary of Teo Macero.
Is there a producer of jazz albums who made more famous albums?
Take Five
Mingus Ah Um
Monk.
Bitches Brew
Is there a producer of jazz albums who made more famous albums?
Take Five
Mingus Ah Um
Monk.
Bitches Brew
October 31, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Today is the TEOTENNIAL, the 100th birthday anniversary of Teo Macero.
Is there a producer of jazz albums who made more famous albums?
Take Five
Mingus Ah Um
Monk.
Bitches Brew
Is there a producer of jazz albums who made more famous albums?
Take Five
Mingus Ah Um
Monk.
Bitches Brew
Today is the Zootennial.
Zoot Sims.
Zoot Sims.
October 30, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Today is the Zootennial.
Zoot Sims.
Zoot Sims.
That one is from a different publisher. Does this look familiar?
October 17, 2025 at 8:06 PM
That one is from a different publisher. Does this look familiar?
The same was true for big dictionaries (Webster's big one lost money; it was the abridgements that sold).
The Balbus Catholicon is thought to have been printed by Gutenberg, but in doubt? 1460.
The Balbus Catholicon is thought to have been printed by Gutenberg, but in doubt? 1460.
October 11, 2025 at 12:46 PM
The same was true for big dictionaries (Webster's big one lost money; it was the abridgements that sold).
The Balbus Catholicon is thought to have been printed by Gutenberg, but in doubt? 1460.
The Balbus Catholicon is thought to have been printed by Gutenberg, but in doubt? 1460.
A sampling of what I was spinning @nepublicmedia.bsky.social tonight, all Alvin Stoller sessions.
October 8, 2025 at 2:18 AM
A sampling of what I was spinning @nepublicmedia.bsky.social tonight, all Alvin Stoller sessions.
My theory, from hearing interviews and being interviewed by many radio hosts, is that they get so thoroughly thwacked for some perceived language peeve or faux pas early in their careers that they beome inveterate & incontrovertible prescriptivists.
Garfield, Terry Gross, Colin McInroe among them.
Garfield, Terry Gross, Colin McInroe among them.
October 8, 2025 at 1:58 AM
My theory, from hearing interviews and being interviewed by many radio hosts, is that they get so thoroughly thwacked for some perceived language peeve or faux pas early in their careers that they beome inveterate & incontrovertible prescriptivists.
Garfield, Terry Gross, Colin McInroe among them.
Garfield, Terry Gross, Colin McInroe among them.
Wait til you see it. A book-lover's book.
September 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Wait til you see it. A book-lover's book.
The wild-eyed permissive and pinko descriptivist revision in (checks notes) Webster's Second, 1934.
September 24, 2025 at 7:14 PM
The wild-eyed permissive and pinko descriptivist revision in (checks notes) Webster's Second, 1934.
A scolding usage note, from Webster's 1864.
Does anyone know of such things (as an organized category of typeset notes) in an earlier dictionary?
@misterslang.bsky.social @jessesword.com @jacklynch000.bsky.social
Does anyone know of such things (as an organized category of typeset notes) in an earlier dictionary?
@misterslang.bsky.social @jessesword.com @jacklynch000.bsky.social
September 24, 2025 at 7:01 PM
A scolding usage note, from Webster's 1864.
Does anyone know of such things (as an organized category of typeset notes) in an earlier dictionary?
@misterslang.bsky.social @jessesword.com @jacklynch000.bsky.social
Does anyone know of such things (as an organized category of typeset notes) in an earlier dictionary?
@misterslang.bsky.social @jessesword.com @jacklynch000.bsky.social
My talk today for #ACESVCON25 is from new research on the four stages of Noah Webster's opinions about spelling reform. Is there a more word-nerdy subject? @acesediting.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM
My talk today for #ACESVCON25 is from new research on the four stages of Noah Webster's opinions about spelling reform. Is there a more word-nerdy subject? @acesediting.bsky.social
I'm begging you NOT to use CENTESIMATION to mean "the destruction of something, but not the total destruction of something, more like if it's only a bit dented and can be fixed."
Let's keep its etymological purity to mean "the killing of one in one hundred Roman soldiers."
Let's keep its etymological purity to mean "the killing of one in one hundred Roman soldiers."
September 15, 2025 at 10:46 PM
I'm begging you NOT to use CENTESIMATION to mean "the destruction of something, but not the total destruction of something, more like if it's only a bit dented and can be fixed."
Let's keep its etymological purity to mean "the killing of one in one hundred Roman soldiers."
Let's keep its etymological purity to mean "the killing of one in one hundred Roman soldiers."
Two copy editing howlers in the same day on the same page in the NYT.
'Lightening' for 'lightning' and referring to an English earl not once but twice as "Sir Robert."
'Lightening' for 'lightning' and referring to an English earl not once but twice as "Sir Robert."
September 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Two copy editing howlers in the same day on the same page in the NYT.
'Lightening' for 'lightning' and referring to an English earl not once but twice as "Sir Robert."
'Lightening' for 'lightning' and referring to an English earl not once but twice as "Sir Robert."
