Research

a delivery of dictionaries...

Despite the internet, I still use books for my research. I have a shelf full of them above my desk. Here’s a condensed inventory:

First and foremost, there are my dictionaries. I have :

One Oxford Concise (split in half down the spine at ‘K’) – useful for everyday spelling and meanings of words

One Penguin Rhyming Dictionary - for those vital times when I need to rhyme ‘theorize’ with ‘rubberize’.

One Dictionary of Saints (Oxford) – last used when deciding what to call my girls’ school in Gemma’s story. Would it be St Catherine (patron saint of schoolgirls) St Jude (desperate cases) or St Brigid (dairymaids)? Watch this space.

One Roget’s Thesaurus – battered

One Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge (used and abused)

One Yorkshire Dictionary, by ‘eck

One Bryson’s Dictionary (new – bought it in the Borders fire sale in December)

One Baby Names around the World (Lansky) – brilliant for choosing characters’ first names

One Guinness Book of Names ( ditto above for surnames, pet names, house names) Now out of print.

One Slang Thesaurus - for my teen books

One Concise English Dictionary by Dr Charles Annandale, M.A., LL.D. This, like me, is a precious thing. It is not just any old dictionary, it is a ‘literary, scientific and technical dictionary’ with ‘pronouncing lists of proper names and of foreign words and phrases – key to names in mythology and fiction – and other valuable appendices – with sixteen plates printed in colour.’ So there.

One Brewer’s Dictionary of Names - bought using vouchers given to me as a leaving present from when I taught at Southwell Minster School (same school Gavin from Gavin and Stacey went to as well as Paul Franks, Notts CC cricketer).

The Local Historian’s Glossary of Words and Terms - useful for if ever I want to become  a local historian.

Are you impressed? I am. Not so much because of the books but because of the shelf holding up the books. Well done that bracket!