We got to talking yesterday about dictionaries, and I speculated that most of my writing students never look into a hardcover dictionary. If they can't get it through spell check or an online dictionary, I guessed, they look at most in a portable paperback. An unabridged Webster's Third sits on its own table in the writing lab, but I can't recall having ever seen a student peek into it.
Of course, it's the first place I look when I'm even mildly uncertain about a word. It isn't just that I consider it authoritative but that nearly every journey produces a happy accident or two. Just the other day, I ran across "knapsack problem" and "floccinaucinihilipilification" (a word, the dictionary informs us, used primarily as an example of one of the longest words in the language).
The web has its happy accidents, too, and maybe the students aren't missing much. But when I get papers, as I have recently, that use "threw out" for "throughout" or "per trade" for "portrayed," then I think that a few hours poring over the unabridged might not be a bad investment.
UPDATE: In the comments below, Larry Kralj mentions a letter to the Oupost that appeared in the Aug. 14, 2003, issue. Those interested can find it here.
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24 comments:
I'm not a great speller myself. In fact, if the truth be told, I'm offal with a capital "O"! But hey, Lewis and Clark did pretty well spelling like I do! Time to go phonetic, like ANY decent language! Our children are handicapped by the illogical spellings of English. For example, a spelling bee in Spanish would be a waste of time! The language is perfectly phonetic. Besides, I've always considered spelling bees a supreme wast of time. Geography bees! Now THAT'S what we need. To HELL with spelling bees.
Students should be taught that dictionaries aren't just for checking spelling. It's the definitions that count. You go looking and you find out that the word you had in mind isn't quite right ... and keep looking. That's why I love my American Heritage. It has, for many words, lists of synonyms, plus a short discussion of the shades of meaning of each synonym. That's why you end up actually reading a good dictionary, not just glancing at it for the proper spelling
When students in the former writing lab would tell me "I have spell check on my computer" I would hand them a copy of American Heritage or Websters and say, "This is my spell checker, start checking!" You should have seen the looks on their faces.
As long as we are on the subject, I find myself using "Snynonym Finder" 99% of the time rather than a thesaurus.
Ah, Eddy, you're such a pendatic sesquipedalion! Look, there's really only ONE way to learn how to write well, and it goes like this: Read a lot, write a lot, and think a lot! THAT'S IT! Everything else is a waste of time. Correct spelling is a waste of time. Only prissy English teachers get their hair buns in a lather when sumthing's mispelled! I give that Lewis and Clark an "F" on their expedition, and not only that, they must attend summer school to be included in our history books! I personally HATE spelling! And you're right. A thesaurus is a friggin' waste of time! LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE! And then, a couple'a others too! Mainly Latin! That'll help. If ya really want to be an intellectual, one language ain't gonna do'er! You must trace the etymologies of words to fully appreciate the subtlies of meaning!
I'll leave the "snynyny" thing for the intellectuals & professional students. I do like my dictionary. And a geography bee sounds good, too.
I've recently read some blog entries about the influx of Katrina students in Texas here. Guusje has a few posts involving the school that she works at. Interesting reading.
Oh, I almost forgot, David - please explain the "knapsack problem". Is it anything like the "Oxbow Incident"?
Larry, that would be "pedantic sesquipedalian." Look it up. But let me get this straight: You can't be bothered with spelling but advise kids to study Latin? Do you also tell them, "screw the multiplication tables, but I recommended you study calculus"?
TOLD ya I can't spell! Latin? Why SURE! But first maybe start with Spanish, WHICH IS ENTIRELY FRIGGIN' PHONETIC! Then work you way to Latin. What this does is first of all it teaches kids grammar that they DON'T learn any more. Then it teaches them cognates. It also greatly increases their vocabularies. And it MAKES THEM SMARTER!, cause they're using areas of their brains heretofore left unattended. (true story. look it up) But yeah, I'm not a stickler for spelling. Why should I be? I mean, if multiple spellings were good enough for Lewis, Clark, and Shakespeare, why not for everyone else! I think that spelling bees are a monumental waste of time! But hey, that's just my opinion. Again, to HELL with correct spelling! (within reason of course) Read a lot, write a lot, and think a lot! And THEN, maybe you'll join long chorus line of individuals throughout our contry's history who have attempted to make this bizarre English language PHONETIC! And one more thing. I'm NOT kidding when I say that studies indicate that American kids are greatly handicapped in their learning because they waste an inordinate amount of time simply trying to master the vagaries of our native tongue! And if you want kids to compete in a bee, how bout a bee that requires them to provide a definition for a word! Much more worthwhile in my estimation.
But Larry, progress is a good thing. I hope you don't take Rush's pills when you're feeling poorly.
HELL yes! Better than a muse for inspiration! Works like a charm! The words literally FLOW outta me! But remember what Steinbeck said about "progress" in Travels With Charlie. Upon entering Seattle in 1962 after a long absence, he said, "Why does progress look so much like destruction"??? Damn good question in my book!
In my experience, writers who don't sweat the small stuff don't get the big stuff right either. The nearest thing to an exception I can think of is Roger Clawson, who writes lovely prose buried under a mudslide of typos, omissions and misspellings.
But then, Roger is an exception to most rules. As he himself once said of a former colleague, "When they made him, they broke the mold. And not after they made him, but before."
I tell my students that bungled grammar and punctuation are like bugs on a windshield. They aren't why you make the trip, but you can't see where you're going until you clean them off.
At the Gazoo, Joe Kusek used to brag that he managed to make a living writing even though he had never studied grammar or usage. I always thought, Joe, you don't have to tell us you didn't learn this stuff. We already know.
Karen, the knapsack problem is a math problem, defined this way by the National Institute of Standards and Technology: "Given items of different values and volumes, find the most valuable set of items that fit in a knapsack of fixed volume."
Dave, Dave, DAVE! Good readers make good writers too! Read what I said. I said that S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G doesn't matter! I said nothing about grammar and usage. Grammar and usage DO matter. Spelling doesn't! Hell, just WHAT in the hell kinda language IS English that we need spellcheck? I mean, think, actually THINK about that one for a minute. People as old and educated as we STILL have to check our spelling! After ALL these years! Simply becasue our damn language is NOT phonetic! Only prissy bunheaded teachers of English (and apparently editors) get offended by creative spelling. Hay, lif's two short!
Larry: In e-mails and blog comments, you might be right. But are you telling me you wouldn't be turned off by a book full of "creative spelling"? It would tell you instantly that nothing else in the book was to be trusted if the folks responsible for it couldn't even spell the words correctly. You don't tell a baseball player that errors don't matter as long as he hits consistently. Nope, a good player has the whole package.
Correctomundo! And that's why I advocate NOT teaching Lewis and Clark in history class! Their spelling was abominable!
Larry, It's interesting to have you weigh in on this topic. One thing I emphasize when my students write argument papers is that the goal is to persuade readers to agree with you, not just to prove how right you are. I've considered using your writing as an example of how to turn off readers who may even be inclined to agree with you (I haven't actually done it out of mercy for my students). Your multiple punctuation marks, your shouting capital letters, your dumb nicknames for people you don't like: It's the perfect formula for alienating readers. I can't even stand to read your stuff about two-thirds of the time.
Yet you say that grammar and usage matter? Please explain.
Everytime I think doing away with the tenure system, Larry reminds why why we have tenure. It is a very good tool for weeding out those who should be selling class rings and band Uniforms or catching dogs and not teaching.
Well, Dave, before one can be a Picasso, one must learn to paint! In other words, many people felt that Picasso was terribly undisciplined as an artist. They didn't realize that he COULD paint beautiful paintings by the traditional methods if he so chose! So, yeah, I feel that grammar and usage are indeed important. You must first learn the correct way to write before you slaughter the language in a surrealistic fashion for effect. But your basic premise about me is wrong, Dave. I do NOT write to convince anyone of anything. I mean, if a person hasn't figured out by now that sen. cornhole burns is an friggin' idiot, or that the presidunce is too, nothing I can say will change their minds. I write to annoy, offend, and entertain. That's all. Oh, and to speak truth to power and insanity. So, please DO use my stuff for your class. Explain to them that this is your brain of too much truth! Then, I won't feel that my life has been a total failure, for I'll know that I have been useful as a bad example! But I will tell you this. Everything I write is not designed to offend. You printed a letter I wrote a while back criticizing the war at its very inception. Remenber that one? The one that you almost didn't print because it was too offensive? Well, I will tell you this. I recieved TONS of e-mails form people who loved that letter. In fact, the most poignant one I recieved was from the head of the VFW in Texas who read that letter at their annual convention! Talk about a quiet reception afterwards! Can you just imagine! My letter! Blasting Bush! Read in his home state! AT THE FREAKIN' VFW! It was a veritable coup! And then, some people read it at open mike poetry meetings, and passed it from hand to hand. It even ended up in New York City! I wrote that letter BEFORE all hell broke loose in Iraq. I was right about this "war" before it even started! Where was everyone else?! That's what you SHOULD be teaching your students. That free speech in a democracy DEMANDS that they write for effect. It's a duty. So, if you use me for a bad example, also include that letter. Let your students decide if my writing is so offensive that it's without effect. And let your students know that they must master the basics before they can rant with the masters! Me and Picasso. We're tight!
You right there, Jimmy! I can't teach you nuthin' bout losers!
Larry,
go apend some time on electric city web log.
Larry,
I just wanted you to know that Jim Larson and James J. Larson are two different people. Actually he calls himself Jim Larson as well, but he is so revulsed by the notion that someone might mistake him for me that he goes to the trouble of using his formal name.
Hmm. Thanks, Jim. I was a bit confused there for a while about that. That clears up a lot. And, Dave, thanks for re-printing that original infamous letter. People should know that many of us were NOT bamboozeled by the monkey boy in the White House and his criminal pals.
Larry, your comment about writing, with its story of what happened with the letter you wrote to the Outpost, might be the best damned thing I've seen from you. And you and Picasso are tight! See, you can be a funny son of a bitch, and I already knew you were smart. Why can't you write more stuff like that comment? And you thank David for republishing your letter on the war. Where? I haven't seen it, as far as I know.
Ed, The link is on an update to the original post.
I am reminded of the new graduate of MSU-Billings in Health Performance who happily posted a sign that included the words:
No Accepsions!
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