Old English Update

First, my apology for not noticing this quarterly update two months ago – already a wee bit old; next available in a couple weeks, looks like.  (The truth is, I didn’t think to Google “what’s new …” until now.)

“What’s new – March 2015 update

Around 500 new words, phrases, and senses have entered the Oxford English Dictionary in this update.   … we have lexicographical facts and figures coming out of our ears … spanning a period of nearly 1,100 years in the history of English.  …  Many appear in entries that have been fully updated for the first time in over 90 years …  Additions this quarter include white stuff … North American name for snow … since at least 1891, XL, and lookalike.  …  See a full list of the new words, subentries, and senses added in this update.  The OED publishes four updates a year.”  – public.oed.com/whats-new

One of my favorites is “a sub-entry for large hadron collider ... a ring of tunnels which straddles the border between Switzerland and France” – a particle accelerator, “the longest machine ever built …”
– New words notes March 2015, by Jonathan Dent, Assistant Editor of the OED

Fascinating, I know.  Even more exciting, something I was not aware of :)

“The OED Appeals is a major new online initiative involving the public in tracing the history of English words.  Using a dedicated community space on the OED website, editors are soliciting help in unearthing new information about the history and usage of English …”  [Two contributions I like:]

"the Trade earlier than 1916

In nautical slang, the Submarine Service used to be referred to as ‘the Trade’.

The Royal Navy launched its first submarine in 1901, but undersea warfare was not well regarded in all [...]  Posted by OED_Editor on 5 November 2014 16.08"

"well in earlier than 1997

People have been described as being ‘well in’ (on good or close terms) with another person or group since 1781.  But a more recent development, at least in British and Irish colloquial use, is being tracked by the OED,  specifically [...]  Posted by OED_Editor on 2 October 2014 17.33"

– public.oed.com/appeals

Read any good English books lately?  Grandson displayed a few his cat likes, 6 April 2015.