Monthly Archives: January 2010

DotW: Sanseido’s Concise English Dictionary

When I first got to Japan and started learning Japanese, I used a dictionary that wrote out all the Japanese words in roman letters. Loyal readers of Dictionary of the Week may remember it as one of the first dictionaries … Continue reading

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which washington was that again?

I got this brilliant piece of mail the other day: If a place near my house has been picked for the Washington State quarter, there is something seriously wrong. News flash: Washington, D.C. is not in Washington State.

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DotW: What’s What

I’m in Colorado this weekend with my parents and brother, so the Dictionary of the Week is a special guest. What’s What: A Visual Glossary of the Physical World is on the shelf of the vacation rental place where we’re … Continue reading

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how to tether a mosquito

Why do mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears? I actually can’t remember the conclusion of that children’s book, but I can now tell you a bunch more about mosquitoes buzzing in general. It’s in this ScienceNOW story. Enjoy. For the study, … Continue reading

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Langenscheidt

Three observations on Langenscheidt, the publisher of two of my Dictionaries of the Week thus far (German) (Japanese): 1. I defy you to type “Langenscheidt” without messing up and typing “edit” instead of “eidt” at the end. I have to … Continue reading

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DotW: Langenscheidt Universal German Dictionary

At the time I left for Germany last July, I owned three German dictionaries. One I got in 1990 when I took my first German class, one random paperback of unknown provenance, and a big desk dictionary I got a … Continue reading

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