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Authors Alarmed As Oxford Junior Dictionary Drops Nature Words
Freshly Exhumed writes: Margaret Atwood, Andrew Motion, and Michael Morpurgo are among 28 authors criticizing Oxford University Press's decision to scrap a number of words associated with nature from its junior dictionary. In an open letter (PDF) released on Monday, the acclaimed writers said they are "profoundly alarmed" and urged the publisher to reinstate words cut since 2007 in the next edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Among words to be dropped are acorn, blackberries, and minnows.
I'm assuming they kept "iPhone" and "Android," and just removed "Blackberries"...
All of these are things a kid should come across while growing up in a few parts of the world.
Acorn is an especially disappointing word to lose--suddenly all these things falling from the sky don't have a word. We just live in a world where things fall from the sky and are undefined.
Minnows are a bit strange to lose because it's a basic fish, for a pet or for feeding to pets or for following. But I suppose you could always learn the word when you got the pet.
Finally, did they get rid of blackberries because it was racist?
We should require all public school students, unless they have a doctor's note, to attend mandatory education at a forest for some amount of time. I'm thinking 1 week.
What constitutes a forest might be complicated in the UK. But it's simple in the US because there are 154 national forests, and over 7,000 state parks.
Most kids would hate it, but I don't really care if children enjoy every second of their life.
The first edition of the newspeak dictionary is out. Doubleplusgood news brothers!
Uhhh, well....
Job security, retirement...
"define:" and that's about it. She wont be getting an oxford "junior dictionary", wtf is that anyways..
buying the junior edition, or got 2nd hand. I never got a junior edition in my mother tongue, got myself a junior edition from oxford as a EFL student much later in file.
What can you expect from a dictionary publisher that picked "selfie" as the word of the year in 2013 and "vape" for 2014
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
What constitutes a forest might be complicated in the UK. But it's simple in the US .
No, what constitutes a forest is simple everywhere. It is just defined as ...er... a ...um... ok who who thought dropping 'forest' from the dictionary was a good idea?
Climate alarmists warned us a long time ago that creatures would vanish. They were right.
They also removed Acorn, whose most lasting impact is probably the spinoff ARM Ltd. that maintains the instruction set used in these mobile computers.
Acorn is an especially disappointing word to lose--suddenly all these things falling from the sky don't have a word. We just live in a world where things fall from the sky and are undefined.
Perhaps this "Chicken Little" fear mentality is what certain influential politicians want to impose on children.
Spoken with a Surrender Dorothy!" voice . . .
Acorns and Blackberries and Minnows just happen to be the three things that were removed from British Royalty member Prince George Michael's rectum after he fell asleep at the wheel of his SUV in London, ripped to his tits on drugs.
A bloke at the pub down the street told me that his sister works in a hospital, so he must know.
They also excavated a few hamsters and gerbils in duck tape
Coincidence? I think not!.
Once again, it's one rule for the Royal Family, and another for the rest of us!
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
I for one am in full support of Oxford's empirical approach to dictionary writing.
Second (and I tend to agree with this one): make sure our children's learning institutions such as the public schools insist on a certain quality of product in return for our tuition/tax money. If the Oxford Junior Dictionary doesn't support all of the lessons we want our instructors to teach to our children then find one that does and buy it instead.
Its bad enough they already changed the definition of literally because nobody used it correctly.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
No word on his thoughts on berries.
I assume they only have a finite number of words and need to add ipad, tablet, app, network, internet, steam, parental lock, minecraft, DS, exit, start, logon, quit, restart, level, character, profile, desktop, youtube, google and... hangon... aren't kids old enough to use the Oxford Junior Dictionary going to be using Google or an app to look up word definitions on their own tablets.....
They also excavated a few hamsters and gerbils in duck tape
Duck tape is also being removed from the dictionary.
I tried to look up what age group this dictionary targets. It took a while to find, because this particular dictionary seems to exist in a sort of quasi-online, quasi-physical state, where the book's website tells you to go buy it, and the official OUP site doesn't recognize it.
Anyways, it's apparently aimed at ages 7 and up, and defines 13,000 words over 288 pages. You might be able to justify it, if these words are no longer in the top 13k words by usage. Then again, the common words aren't the ones you need a definition for.
Come on, this is a kids dictionary.
Do you honestly think they use it to look up words such as acorn and minnows?
The time to vent your spleen is when they remove words such as penis and fart.
In the future, Agenda 21 world people will not be allowed to live in areas where there will be such things as blackberries, acorns and minnows will ever be encountered by people. They'll be out in the wild where people will not be allowed to go. Since there won't be any reference for people to see, feel, experience what these things are, there's no need for words to describe them.
Nature won't exist if a few years so I don't see this as a problem.
This isn't unusual. Languages evolve. Words that fall out of use are being removed from the dictionary all the time. For example, the latest Webster's no longer lists "gullible".
Well, Jenny, ya know how babies are delivered by a stork in the middle of the night? Well, This is how trees are delivered.
They were replaced with: "dildo" "fist" and "transgender"........
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
...
The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The [redacted] would be lost, the [redacted] would be lost
The "Junior Edition" has never been a "real" dictionary. It's always been a pared down subset of the full dictionary they publish.
Complaining that it doesn't have certain words is like complaining that a Collegiate Dictionary doesn't have all the words that a full dictionary twice the size (or larger) does.
Let's face it: most people live in the urban world nowadays. They're far more likely to run into technology buzzwords than they are parts of nature. To most city dwellers, "nature" never extends beyond a walk in a manicured park.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
The Oxford Junior Dictionary contains about 3% of the Oxford English Dictionary. Some words need to be swapped out to make room for words that are more relevant to the users.
Do kids even need dictionaries? I thought everyone just used spellcheck. And if they don't know what it is, they can just google it anyway.
So, who cares what words might or might not be in a junior dictionary? And why does that site think that people whining about some nonsense like this is news?
its "COPY and paste" you bastards!!!!
Luckily the "hungarian stack" of playing cards, widespread in Central-Eastern Europe, uses "makk" (acorn) as one of its four colours, the others being red, green and treff. Thus, even city-dwelling kids will quickly learn what an acorn is.
BTW, those cards strangely bear the portraits of personalities from the legendarium of swiss independence movement (e.g. William Tell, Rudolf Harras, Walter Fuerst, Reding Itell, Herrmann Gessler, Ulrich Rudenz, the hunterman of Stutzen and the Shephard of Kuon).
Furthermore, tip bulb of the male's built-in weapon is called the acorn in hungarian language.
I thought dictionaries where supposed to include all words? Or would that make them too long?
Thank you, Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden and so many others, for courageously defending humanity, my freedom and more!
I mean, removing these 28 words should eliminate what like.. 50 pages from that bulky dictionary, yeah?
Wow, I'd save being "profoundly alarmed" for something that actually matters, not this tempest in a tea cup.
Duck tape should never be in the dictionary as it's a brand name. Now Duct tape on the the other hand, shouldn't be in the dictionary either, as it's not a word in and of itself. In an encyclopedia on the other hand....
...I'd drop 'dictionary'. Who uses them instead of a website anyway?
-Styopa
It's a survivalist plot.
You can live from these 3 things in the woods if civilization collapses, but they don't want the iGeneration to know.
As Triumph would say, the correct answer is "Who gives a shit?"
Does anybody still buy dead-tree dictionaries? I don't see this being relevant outside of a few grandparents who might buy this "Junior Dictionary" for their grandkids in the mistaken belief that it isn't easier for the kiddos to just look words up online, where space is not a premium so there's no need to omit words.
Look unless you want that giant 2 foot cube book they used to have in the library... we are going to need to leave some words out.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
The dictionary used to be a very different book, meant for much more than listing definitions.
From the blog post linked below:
"The first thing you’ll notice is that the example sentences don’t sound like they came out of a DMV training manual (“the lights started flashing”) — they come from Milton and Shakespeare and Tennyson (“A thought flashed through me, which I clothed in act”)."
http://jsomers.net/blog/dictio...
After reading James Somers' post about adding the 1913 Webster's dictionary to his system I gave it a try. The old dictionary sometimes has archaic definitions but is generally much more useful and even entertaining to use.
Let me fix that for you using the junior dictionary:
Wow, I'd only be, like, OMG for stuff that is like, real, you know, not this stuff that is, like, meh, whatever.
In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
For the same reason, we should also ban aspirin, zipper, cellophane, velcro, teflon, freon, and linoleum from the dictionary.
http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
As someone speaking English as a second language, I've found the names of plants and animals to be the hardest to learn. Materials aimed at kids who speak English as a first language often are good for adults learning it as a second language. I guess that's no longer true for this dictionary.
Also, who the fuck doens't just look shit up on his smartphone? Not like space is much of an issue there.
Well, 2014 was the year of vaping.
The dictionary catalogues the language of the time, it does not create it. Think of it as a list of the top few thousand words used by children. If you want the list to be different, then you need to ensure children use different words. The dictionary removing "nature words" is an effect of children being in nature less, not a cause.
Well, you're correct, if you want people to believe in half-truths.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Bedford_Forrest#Speaks_to_black_Southerners:
Speaks to black Southerners[edit]
In 1875, Forrest demonstrated that his personal sentiments on the issue of race now differed from that of the Klan, when he was invited to give a speech before an organization of black Southerners advocating racial reconciliation, called the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association. At this, his last public appearance, he made what the New York Times described as a "friendly speech"[10] during which, when offered a bouquet of flowers by a black woman, he accepted them as a token of reconciliation between the races and espoused a radically progressive (for the time) agenda of equality and harmony between black and white Americans.[56] His speech was as follows:
"Ladies and Gentlemen I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the southern states. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God's earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. ( Immense applause and laughter.) This day is a day that is proud to me, having occupied the position that I did for the past twelve years, and been misunderstood by your race. This is the first opportunity I have had during that time to say that I am your friend. I am here a representative of the southern people, one more slandered and maligned than any man in the nation.
I will say to you and to the colored race that men who bore arms and followed the flag of the Confederacy are, with very few exceptions, your friends. I have an opportunity of saying what I have always felt - that I am your friend, for my interests are your interests, and your interests are my interests. We were born on the same soil, breathe the same air, and live in the same land. Why, then, can we not live as brothers? I will say that when the war broke out I felt it my duty to stand by my people. When the time came I did the best I could, and I don't believe I flickered. I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe that I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to bring about peace. It has always been my motto to elevate every man- to depress none. (Applause.) I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going.
I have not said anything about politics today. I don't propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, that you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office. I did not come here to make you a long speech, although invited to do so by you. I am not much of a speaker, and my business prevented me from preparing myself. I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment. Use your best judgement in selecting men for office and vote as you think right.
Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. I have been in the heat of battle when colored men, asked me to protect them. I have placed myself between them and the bullets of my men, and told them they should be kept unharmed. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I'll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand." (Prolonged applause.):
So how the clucking bell do you manage to start off with "well, when it changes in a dictionary, then it counts as "we" deciding to change the use" then segue seamlessly into "So let them use it incorrectly, according to the definition "we" still use!"?
Is this so that it can be changed to the literally WRONG version of use by so many morons not being corrected? What the hell is wrong with "figuratively" anyway? It is literally the right word to use for "in a grammatically acceptable generalisation of all states"? If so, can WE change it back by continuing to insist on using it literally correctly? If not, why not? If so, then why the hell are you complaining at the GP???
You literally make no sense.
Well an acorn is a specific type of "nut", and minnows are a specific type of "fish".
While it may sound odd to an adult that as raised with a different convention, I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with teaching children that they're gathering "Oak nuts" and catching "little fish" with a net. And an abridged dictionary by definition has to decide what's unimportant enough to leave out. It could easily be that being special cases of more general words that were already in the dictionary these are actually redundant and removing them allows the inclusion of more novel words that aren't as easily replaced with more other words in the dictionary.
A forrest is a proper subset of the set of all trees such that it is not the empty set and all eliminates of the forrest are within at least 3 meters of another eliminate of the forrest.
I haven't used a paper dictionary in probably 20 years. For the "what will we call it now?" crowd: The words didn't go away silly rabbit. It's just not in that particular abridged dead tree scroll any longer... Besides, I've also never known anyone to see something they don't know the name for then read the entire dictionary trying to find the word for it... Dictionaries are old school spell checkers, not known language repositories. This is unimportant.
Schools these days are doing an increasingly poor job of preparing the next generation to unserstand the Gilligan's Island Theme Song.
Purchase an unabridged dictionary. All the words are there.
The JOED removed these because they needed the space for "surveillance", "camera", and "goodthink." They're lagging behind the USA, though, as we've shortcut the entire process by no longer requiring students to be able to read. (Or write. Or do math.)
Between that and our fabulous jobs policy*, the USA leads the world. Now, if only lead weren't toxic, we'd be ok.
* US Jobs Policy:
Step 1: Export tech jobs overseas to increase corporate profit
Step 2: Throw all low-skill immigrants back across the border
Step 3: Now US tech workers can get jobs doing lawn work, picking crops, and nannying.
It's genius!
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
"I tore apart your stupid hosts file crapola." - by BarbaraHudson (3785311) on Tuesday August 19, 2014 @10:46AM (#47703255)
Where? You RAN from trying recently -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... & you're FAIRLY given the opportunity to make good on those words of yours - you downmodded (via your many sockpuppets) & ran, lol, after your wise-ass comment on hosts here JUST before that challenge -> http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... quoted next below:
---
"scans multiple forums repeatedly to troll his crappy HOSTS file " - by BarbaraHudson (3785311) on Sunday January 04, 2015 @11:58AM (#48730581) from http://tech.slashdot.org/comme...
I only post on them where they apply (or confronting naysayers like you). Prove otherwise!
(Oh, that's right - you're NOT BIG ON PROOF, are you? See below next...)
---
"His only "legend in his own mind" was that he claimed that "his" hosts file could completely secure a windows computer. " - by tomhudson (43916) on Saturday February 12, @11:19AM (#35186644)
Where did I even *once* claim hosts completely secure a computer? Hosts are, however, the BEST single tool for more speed, security, reliability, & more. Prove otherwise.
Putting words in my mouth I never stated != truth, or a good argument on YOUR part. You RAN from that too!
---
"Who has independently vetted it?" - by BarbaraHudson (3785311) on Tuesday August 19, 2014 @10:46AM (#47703255)
You tried to say it's malware/spyware too - guess what:
Answer = The BEST in the security antimalware & antispyware business currently, http://www.av-test.org/en/news... per that VERY recent test's results, who also host & RECOMMEND my program for hosts, is who -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... (Malwarebytes' hpHosts)
* You've done better? No... lol!
APK
P.S.=> You fail: "Eat your words, Forrest" & you told others to stalk/harass me by ac posts as YOU YOURSELF do, unceasingly, for years http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
... apk
BarbaraHudson stalks me by ac posts & that's quoted in her words http://slashdot.org/comments.p... & her "so-called 'point'" vs. hosts = b.s. (in a 'journal' - not publicly since she KNOWS they're bullshit):
"We don't need to use a hosts file to block ads (adblock does it better)" - by BarbaraHudson (3785311) on Sunday September 21, 2014 @02:09PM
FROM-> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
To THAT b.s. I point out how NOT BETTER it is, tearing up 4++gb of RAM & flooring CPU too -> https://blog.mozilla.org/nneth...
+
By default (since advertisers KNOW most folks using "Almost ALL Ads Blocked" won't change that) adblock's PAID OFF NOT TO DO ITS JOB FULLY -> http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/...
ClarityRay's also DESTROYING AdBlock but it's NOT ABLE TO DO THAT to custom hosts files.
---
* BarbaraHudson's *trying* to tell us that Adblock's vastly inferior abilities + chewing up resources LIKE MAD is "superior" to hosts?? Please... lol!
(Hosts do all of what adblock does, + FAR more - with less!)
APK
P.S.=> Facts above vs. BarbaraHudson's fictions & the FACT BarbaraHudson CANNOT DISPROVE that hosts do more w/ LESS, & far, Far, FAR MORE for added speed, security, reliability, + even anonymity (to an extent) vs. adblock
&
That hosts fix DNS security issues in DNS amplification attacks, DNS being downed, DNS being redirect poisoned etc. - et al as well!
Fact: NO SINGLE SOLUTION does more & w/ less, period/fact, for all those points of mine here BarbaraHudson sockpuppet downmodded & RAN from -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... like the troll & multiple account using sockpuppeteer he/she is... apk
(N/T)
Your 7 examples, except perhaps Velcro, are all now well established as generic names. "Duck tape" is not; most people recognize "duct tape" as the correct phrase.
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