A Digital Edition of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

by pepys • 12 years ago

20 4 12 years ago

pepys• 12 years ago

The "Mummy" entry is pretty fascinating:

"1. ...Mummy has been esteemed resolvent and balsamick; and besides it, the skull, and even the moss growing on the skulls of human skeletons, have been celebrated for antiepileptick virtues..."

3. To beat to a Mummy. To beat soundly."

http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?p=7796

mbca• 12 years ago

For those who've watched the show Black Adder:

http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?p=8712

nylar• 12 years ago

Also relevant - http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?page_id=7409&SearchValu...

dang• 12 years ago

Johnson's famous reference to himself:

Lexicographer — A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge

http://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/?p=4848

Edit: and while we're at it, the astonishing letter he sent Lord Chesterfield after the dictionary came out:

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/08/seven-years-have-now-pa...

Apparently Chesterfield admired it and left it on his table for visitors to read.

A Digital Edition of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

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