lex·i·con

used “acerbic” the other day without confidently knowing its meaning, which is:

acer•bic \ə-ˈsər-bik, a-\ adj (1865) : acid in temper, mood, or tone < ~ commentary> <an ~ reviewer> — acer•bi•cal•ly \-bi-k(ə-)lē\ adv

still need to consciously re-direct to the desktop dictionary rather than a dictionary on the desktop. the ease and convenience of technology is nearly irresistible, sure; but things stick better for me when using a physical reference. still, many Google sourced definitions have been recorded in sketchbooks that have since been tucked away. pulling some of those notes out to keep here, for visibility sake.

abbreviated and scattershot post-it note definitions – mostly using Google, which references ‘The Oxford American College Dictionary’. used to text Google “define such-and-such” from my flip phone back in the T9 days for vocabulary on the go.

researched dictionary options before buying. this Slate article offers helpful user perspective, and this Youtube video featuring lexicographer Kory Stamper has cool info too. in the end, went with Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. i appreciate their descriptivist philosophy; and it was the kind i had as a kid – that definitely counts for something.

reached for the dictionary again the other day to look up “sardonic”. by that point i’d already started documenting and scanning the sketchbook definitions. wasn’t until a few pages in that i realized i’d already recorded a definition. the previous came from Google – here’s Merriam Webster’s take:

sar•don•ic \sär-ˈdä-nik\ adj [F sardonique, fr. Gk sardonios] (1638) : disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking <a ~ comment> syn see SARCASTIC – sar•don•i•cal•y \-ni-k-(-ə)lē\ adv

part of the collection of unfamiliar words – definitions provided by ‘Merriam Webster’s’ this time.

while i’m here, the rest of the “pantograph” definition referenced in the chicken scratch thumbnail is:

pan•to•graph \ˈpan-tə-ˌgraf\ n [F pantographe, fr. pant- + -graphe -graph] (1723) 1 : an instrument for copying something (as a map) on a predetermined scale consisting of four light rigid bars jointed in parallelogram form; also : any of various extensible devices of similar construction (as for use as brackets or gates)…

(P.S. – should there every be a need to charm a lexicographer, remember this)