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Saturday, 18 August 2012

The Oxford Dictionary of New Words: A popular guide to words in the news

In this new dictionary, about 2000 contemporary words and phrases are given international Phonetic Alphabet pronunciation, one or more definitions, accounts of origin and usage, and readable, useful summaries of their background. All the information provided is first-rate. Examples of usage are quoted, with citations, and a set of 11 "subject icons" highlight graphically the fields of interest (business, drugs, music, etc.) in which the terms operate. The entries go beyond the usual basics found in most dictionaries and, in detail and scope, comprise a sort of mirror of word usage in recent years. Purists might see some of the terms as barbarisms best ignored, e.g., glocal and ungreen . Though British viewpoint and spelling are employed, the rich tradition of excellence in dictionary making at Oxford is well served with this outstanding volume.
-William A. Donovan, Chicago P.L.


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