It's Dictionary Day!
Two hundred and fifty-five years ago today, Noah Webster was born in what is now Hartford, Connecticut. After the Revolutionary War, he was among the Patriots that believed that American children should learn out of American-made books, not those supplied by Britain. He released his first textbook in 1783. Later in life, he focused on bridging the gap between English words and phrases and things that Americans said. His first dictionary, published in 1806, was called A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, and included around 37,000 words. At the age of 80, he published another dictionary, titled American Dictionary of the English Language, which took him 22 years to complete and included over 65,000 words.
Here is an awe-inspiring word that you can use to impress your friends:
lethologica (lee-tho-LO-gi-ca) — 1. the inability to remember the right word. 2. a psychological disorder that inhibits an individual's ability to articulate thoughts by temporarily forgetting key words, phrases, or names in conversation
That word is pretty genius.
Use it well.
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