Tag Umbrella

The Chambers Dictionary, Revised 13th Edition

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General Details

Title: The Centruy Dictionary, Revised 13th Edition
Volumes: 1
Language: English
Publisher: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd
Year: 2016
Pages: 1860 + 32

The Chambers Dictionary features a quote on the front of its dust jacket wherein Melvyn Bragg brags that "Chambers stands out like a baroque mansion in a city of faceless concrete." It's a weighty hardcover, with a shiny red ribbon bookmark that matches its shiny jacket. The paper is thin, to the point where there is some ghosting of the pages underneath (Western dictionary companies would do well to pay attention to their Japanese counterparts in terms of paper), but bright and readable, with the text printed in double columns in an easy-on-the-eyes typeface. The dictionary traces its roots back to 1872, and this current edition contains "over 620,000 words, phrases and meanings," according to the back text. It's based in Scotland, and so contains a large number of Scottishisms, as well as words from the various varieties of English from around the world.

The definitions are very clear and easy to understand. Similar to Johnson's Dictionary and the Shin Meikai, it is known for having a smattering of quirky and humorous definitions sprinkled about. An éclair, for example, is "a cake, long in shape but short in duration, with cream filling and usu chocolate icing." A mullet is "a hairstyle that is short at the front, long at the back, and ridiculous all round." A jaywalker is "a careless pedestrian whom motorists are expected to avoid running down."

"A short history of English," written by Professor Jeremy J. Smith, begins the dictionary, and this is followed by a section of the "Varieties of English" around the world and the general differences between them and standard British English. These are followed by a section on how to use the dictionary, a section on the rules of (British) spelling, a section on how to pronounce the various foreign words that appear in entry etymologies, a section on how to pronounce the entries based on the symbols used, and a list of the italicized abbreviations used in the entires.

Each alphabetic section of the main dictionary begins with a display of the alphabet in a typeface that begins with that letter. For example, "A" begins with a copy of the alphabet printed in "Arial" and notes that the typeface was designed by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders in the UK in 1982. Don't worry font-snobs (weep, dear Undertale stans) — comic sans and papyrus do not make appearances.

Following "Z", there is a section that lists "Some first names" and their origins and meanings, a section containing common "Phrases and quotations from foreign languages," a section on foreign alphabets and their typical English transliterations, and guides to Roman numerals, the chemical elements, standard units of measurement, scales, wedding anniversairies, mathematical symbols, and planets. All of this is followed by a separetely-paginated section called "The Word Lover's Ramble," by Trevor Barnes, who looked through all of the past editions of Chambers and created this wonderful historical look at how the language has changed over the past 140 years. The 32 pages that make up the ramble feature special sections on swear words, technology, trademarks, words that derive from names, etc. It's a delightful read for anyone with the slightest interest in history, lexicography, or slang.

Chambers fits so many entries into a single manageable volume by not itemizing definitions and related words with line breaks and formatted lists. Definitions are listed one after another with diamonds separating different parts of speech and only a semi-colon separating the disparate meanings. Word derivatives are grouped into three categories, each designated by a different shade of square, and anything falling under one of those three categories (■ derivations, □ compounds, ▨ idioms) is then listed in a similar fashion as the definitions, one right after the other without paragraph breaks. Pronunciations are found at the beginning of entries; etymologies at the end. There are no example sentences or thorough usage notes. The entry for lick provides a good overview of these attributes:

lick /lik/ vt to pass the tongue over (eg to moisten or taste); to take into the mouth using the tongue; to lap; to put or make by passing the tongue over; to pass over or play upon in the manner of a tongue; to flicker over or around; to smear; to beat (inf). ◆ vi to go at full speed (inf); to smoke crack (drug sl). ◆ n an act of licking; a quantity licked up, or such (a small amount) as might be imagined to be licked up; a slight smearing or wash; a place where animals lick salt; a blow or flick (esp Scot in pl a thrashing); vigorous speed (inf); a wag (Scot); in jazz or rock music, a short instrumental passage or flourish (inf). [OE liccian; Ger lecken, L lingere, Gr leichein]
■ lick'er n. lick'ing n a thrasing.
□ lick'er-in' n a toothed cylinder that takes in material to a carding engine. lick'penny n (obs) something which licks up, or is a drain upon, one's money. lick'spittle or (rare) lick'-platter n a toady. lick'-trencher n (archaic) a parasite.
▨ a lick and a promise a perfunctory wash. lick into shape to mould into satisfactory form, from the notion that the she-bear gives form to her shapeless youth by licking them. lick one's lips to look forward, or (archaic) to recall, with pleasure. lick one's wounds to retire from a defeat, failure, etc, esp in order to try to recover one's strength, pride, etc. lick someone's boots to toady. lick the dust to be killed or finished off (inf); to be abjectly servile.

To provide a fair comparison between the various reference works on this site, I like to look up the same two words - umbrella and St. Louis. St. Louis is not to be found here; countries can be found in here, but not generally cities. Umbrella is below:

umbrella /um-brel' ə/ n (also (obs) ombrell'a or umbrell'o) a dome-shaped canopy of light fabric mounted on a stick, carried or set up as a protection against rain or sun, that can be collapsed and furled when not in use; anything of similar form, eg a jellyfish disc; a protection; (something, eg an agency, that provides) a general cover or representation; a cover of fighter aircraft for ground forces (milit). ◆ adj broadly embracing or including a number or a variety of things. [Ital ombrella, ombrello from ombra a shade, from L umbra]
■ umbrell'aed or umbrell'a'd adj with an umbrella.
□ umbrell'a-ant n the sauba ant. umbrella bird n any number of birds of the Cotinga genus with umbrella-like crest and a lappet attached to the throat or breast. umbrella fir n a Japanese confier with radiating tufts of needles. umbrella group, organization, etc n a group of representatives of small parties, clubs, etc, which acts for all of them where they have common interests. umbrella pine same as stone pine (see under stone). umbrella plant n an African sedge with umbrella-like clusters of slender leaves, a common houseplant. umbrella stand n a rack or receptacle for closed umbrellas and walking-sticks. umbrella tree n any of various trees or shrubs whose leaves or branches grow in an umbrella-like formation, esp a small N American magnolia.

New Clear Explanation Japanese Dictionary (2020)

Bran

The Shin Meikai and its slipcase.

General Details

Title: 新迷解国語辞典　第八版 (New Clear Explanation Japanese Dictionary 8th Edition)
Volumes: 1
Language: Japanese
Publisher: 三省堂 (Sanseido)
Year: 2020
Pages: 1,741

The eighth edition of the Shin Meikai (Clear Explanation) was released on November 19th of this year, 9 years after the seventh edition appeared. It comes in its normal red edition (which is the one I purchased), as well as blue- and white-cover editions, a compact edition, a leather edition, and, releasing next year, (larger-sized) desk and large-print editions. Each has the exact same page count and contents; the normal, compact, and large-size editions differ in paper and font size. I cannot imagine how small the print of the compact edition must be, as the font in the normal edition is very tiny. I wonder if I should have spent the extra amount (and the extra wait time) to get one of the larger editions.

The Shin Meikai (Wikipedia) is a very popular dictionary - the advertising strip on the slipcase claims that it is, in fact, the bestselling Japanese language dictionary. It contains approximately 79,000 entries. One reason for its fame is that a lot of the definitions read more like commentary than the standard objective definitions in other dictionaries, many written by (now-deceased) chief editor Yamada Tadao. Building on this, marketing materials around the eighth edition have emphasized that this is a "thinking dictionary." This reminds me of the little asides Samuel Johnson included in his dictionary in entries like oats, lexicographer, and patron.

"The Thinking Dictionary"

If I lived in Japan, I could return the survey postcard included inside of the dictionary for a chance to win one of the above figures. Or a keychain.

The Shin Meikai tries to keep up with the times, and so this new edition includes new entries for words like "LGBT," "hate speech," "dad joke," etc. Existing entries are updated to reflect the times as well. One of Yamada-san's most quoted entries is 恋愛, or "love/romance." In the eighth edition, the previous phrase "partner of the opposite sex" has been updated to reflect the fact that love can exist outside of a heteronormative gender binary. Here is the entry from page 1668; the translation follows the short explanation of a typical entry's layout.

＊れんあい 0 【恋愛】ーする（自サ）特定の相手に対して他の全てを犠牲にしても悔い無いと思い込むような愛情をいだき、常に相手のことを思っては、二人だけでいたい、二人だけの世界を分かち合いたいと願い、それがかなえられたと言っては喜び、ちょっとでも疑念が生じれば不安になるといった状態に身を置くこと。「熱烈なーの末に結ばれた二人／ー結婚5・ー小説5・ー至上主義8」

The asterisk indicates that this is a common, "important" word. Very important words get two asterisks. The 0 enclosed in a square is a reference to the special accent guide found on the inside back cover and in an appendix, serving as a guide for when to raise or lower pitch. The 【】thick square brackets contain the proper kanji spelling of the word; in many entries these are also used to list idiomatic phrases. The ーする indicates that this noun can also be used as a verb by way of the helping verb する ("to love"). When used as a verb, （自サ）indicates that this is an intransitive verb that conjugates as する does. The definition then follows:

Putting yourself in a state where you give affection to a designated partner without regret and at the expense of everything else, always thinking about your partner, wanting to be alone together, wanting to share a world with just the two of you, feeling the joy of saying that this has been granted, and becoming anxious when even small doubts arise.

This is followed by some sample phrases (and if the pitch accent in these combinations differs from what was initially given in the headword, that change is indicated with a new set of enclosed numbers) - in this case the examples include "tying the knot at the end of a passionate love affair", "a love marriage," "romance novel," "love for love's sake."

Other features of this dictionary include basic kanji information and a guide to counting words. I can say that this is officially my first reference work to contain mention of the pandemic we are currently in; here, for example, is the entry for "coronavirus" from page 564:

コロナウイルス54〔coronavirus太陽のコロナのように見えることから〕人や動物で感染症を起こすウイルス。ヒトコロナウイルスの中には、サーズ（SARS）やマーズ（MERS）、二〇二〇年に大流行した新型コロナウイルス感染症（COVID-19）の病原体などがある。「SARSー87・MERSー87」

Coronavirus. [coronavirus from the fact that it looks like the corona of the sun] A virus that causes infection in humans and animals. Among human coronaviruses are pathogens like SARS, MERS, and the new infectious coronavirus strain (COVID-19) that is a widespread outbreak in the year 2020. "SARS coronavirus", "MERS coronavirus."

One nice feature of these "thoughtful" definitions is that the entries for animals are done in such a way as to give you a well-rounded impression of the thing. There are no pictures in this dictionary at all, so relying on the definition alone may result in some medieval-like interpretations of unfamiliar creatures, but you can get acquire a hint of feeling for the nature of the beast. Here, to illustrate, is the entry for かめ, or "turtle," from page 302. The かぞえ方 section after the definition is explaining which counter words can be used for turtles.

かめ 1 【亀】〔「〈龜」の俗体〕多く水にすむ爬虫類。堅くて丸い甲羅を持ち、敵に襲われると、頭・尾・四足をその中に隠す。背中の模様は六角形。ツルとともに長生きすると考えられる動物の代表。冬眠する。かぞえ方一匹・一頭

A type of reptile which mostly lives in water. They have a strong, round shell, into which they can hide their head, tail, and four legs when threatened by danger. The patterns on their backs are hexagonal. Along with cranes, they are one of the animals associated with longevity. They hibernate.

Sample Entries

In order to provide a common ground for comparison between the various reference works in this guide, I attempt to look up the same two terms in each: "umbrella" and "Saint Louis." "Saint Louis" is not in here, although there is an appendix with details on the countries of the world. かさ、 or "umbrella," can be found on page 266:

＊かさ 1 一【〈笠】㊀ 雨・雪・日光などを防ぐために、頭の上に載せる、△半球面状（山形）の（大きな）かぶり物。「ーをかぶる／電灯のー〔＝おおい〕／マツタケのー」㊁塀など、屋外に設けるものの一端にかぶせうもの。「灯籠のー石／戸袋のー板」【ーに着る】自分に有力な後ろ楯があるのをいいことにして、大きな態度をとる。【ーの台が飛ぶ】㊀首を斬られる。㊁免職になる。二【傘】雨・雪・日光などを防ぐために、柄を手で持って頭の上にかざすもの。開けば半球面状になり、用の無い時はたたむ。からかさ・こうもりがさ・日がさなど。「ーを差す／米国の核のー〔＝核兵器の威力による安全保障〕の下になる」〔一は「かぶりがさ4」、二は「差しがさ3」と言って区別した〕かぞえ方一は一枚・一蓋。二は一本

Umbrella 1.(笠 - "umbrella hat") a. A (large) hemispherical (mountain-shaped) object placed on top of the head in order to protect against the rain, snow, sunlight, etc. "To wear an umbrella-hat," "an umbrella light (=cover)," "Matsutake mushroom umbrella." b. A thing placed on the end of a thing set up outdoors, like a wall. "The capping stone of a garden lantern," "shutter box cap plate" [To wear an umbrella hat] To have an arrogant attitude, by claiming that you have an influential supporter. [The umbrella hat stand flies] a. To be decapitated. b. To be fired. 2. A thing held above the head by means of a grip in the hand in order to protect from the rain, snow, sunshine, etc. When opened, it is becomes hemispherical, and it folds up when not needed. Bamboo-and-paper umbrellas, western-style umbrellas, parasols, etc. "To hold an umbrella," "To be under the American nuclear umbrella (=security agreement leaning on the power of nuclear weapons)"

Bufton's Universal Cyclopædia

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Update 12/7/2020 - Sold my copy of this encyclopedia set.

General Details

Title: Bufton's Universal Cyclopædia
Volumes: 4
Language: English
Publisher: Mutual Publishing Company
Year: 1924
Pages: Not numbered.

Bufton's Universal Cyclopædia (slogan: "Multum in Parvo") is, according to its title page, "a comprehensive, accurate and dependable storehouse of universal knowledge, treating history, geography, biography, literature, economics, civics, art, science, discovery and invention, embracing over 16,000 subjects" . The 4-volume set was originally published in 1919; my edition is from 1924 and was published in Kansas City, MO. James Bufton, the managing editor and publisher, states in the preface that he wanted to "eliminate much useless and cumbersome material that serves only to pad and give bulk to the average encyclopaedia", but this small encyclopedia lacks some standard features, like an index and page numbers, while ironically padding itself with random long treatises, stories, and other supplements.

Following the preface, the first volume contains a page of quotes extolling the virtues of having books (including one by Horace Greeley, lifted straight from the prefatory material in Johnson's Universal Cyclopaedia: "I want at my elbow while writing three books: a dictionary, an atlas, and a cyclopaedia of not more than four volumes".). This is followed by the standard encyclopedic/dictionary layout, in three columns, beginning with the letter A. Little black-and-white illustrations pepper the pages; these tend to well-selected and add useful visual information to the very concise entries. There are even occasional full-page illustrations and a few color plates in each volume.

It would be, basically, a standard encyclopedia other than the fact that there are random special sections scattered throughout. Lacking page numbers, there is no index or guide to help the user know about their existence, beyond a chance encounter while flipping through the pages. For example, following the entry on "Arithmetic" is a 22-page guide to "The Teaching of Arithmetic," broken up into chaptered sections with exercises, including a chapter on using math to build and decorate a house. The encyclopedia then resumes right where it left off with a full page illustration of a naval ship and the article on "Arizona." Here is, as best as I can document, a list of the special sections:

Volume 1

  • The Teaching of Arithmetic [follows "Arithmetic"]
  • Bible Index [interrupts "Biblical Criticism"]

Volume 2

  • Marley's Ghost [interrupts "Dickens"]
  • In Flanders Fields [interrupts "Flax"]
  • Legal Forms and Terms [follows "Forrest, Edwin"]
  • English Style Book [follows "Grand Pre"]

Volume 3

  • Benefits Forgot: A Thanksgiving Story of Abraham Lincoln [interrupts "Lincoln, Abraham"]
  • The Boy's Workshop [interrupts "Manual Training" and, just so you are clear, "This is a chapter for boys."]
  • The Great Guest Comes [follows "Marmose"]
  • Physical Training [follows "Physiology"]

Volume 4

  • Hamlet's Instructions to the Players [interrupts "Shanghai"]
  • The Court of Boyville; The March of Miles Standish; The Kid has Gone to the Colors; Ma'moiselle; Dirge for a Soldier; The Duel; William's Psychic Disturbances; One, Two, Three; A Cutting from Enoch Arden; The Third Ingredient; Cutting from Julius Caesar - Quarrel of Brutus and Cassius; Itching Heels; Almost Beyond Endurance; Character and Success; The American Boy; His Compensation; Walkin' the Young-'Uns; A Christmas Dinner On The Wing; The Deserter; The House by the Side of the Road; Where Cross the Crowded Way; Two Bills; The Fads of Miss Philury; "I Wonder" [all of this follows "Story, William"]
  • Classified Literary Gems [follows "Zyrians"]
  • Atlas [follows "Classified Literary Gems"] with Index of Cities and Towns
  • Question Department [follows "Atlas"]

Yearly supplements were issued for this set, which could be stored in a special binder designed to match the covers of the regular four volumes.

Sample Entries

I look up the same two entries, when available, in every reference work featured on this site in order to provide a fair basis of comparison between them. There are no page numbers, but both "umbrella" and "Saint Louis" appear in volume 4 of this set:

UMBRELLA, a portable shade, screen, or canopy which opens and folds, carried in the hand for sheltering the person. The umbrella had its origin in the East in very remote times, where it was (and still is) regarded as an emblem of royalty or a mark of distinction; but as a defense from rain it was not used in England till early in the 18th century.

SAINT LOUIS (lṳ'i or lu'is), the chief city of the lower Mississippi valley, the commercial metropolis of the State of Missouri, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, less than 20 miles from its confluence with the Missouri, and 185 miles north of the influx of the Ohio. It is distant by river about 1,200 miles from New Orleans, and 729 miles from St. Paul, the head of navigation upon the upper Mississippi. It is situated in the center of the great valley, through which the waters of the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois and other smaller but navigable streams find their way to the Gulf of Mexico. St. Louis is built upon a series of undulating hills or terraces that rise one above the other from the river for miles to the west.

The plan of the city is rectilinear. In the old portion of the city, laid out by the early French inhabitants, the streets are narrow, and the blocks average 300 feet square. In the newer portion of the city the streets are wide and lined with shade trees. The east and west streets run from the river at right angles. One of these, Market street, is the dividing center line. The sewer system is most extensive, surface drainage being unknown in the city. The largest sewer, known as the Mill Creek, following the line of a natural drain, is twenty feet wide and fifteen feet high. The city is lighted every night of the year by electricity. The alleys are brightly illuminated with incandescent electric lights, and the streets proper with arc-lights swung over the streets at an elevation of forty-five feet.

The twenty-three public parks, places, and gardens of the city have a total area of 2183 acres, including the part of Forest park temporarily used as part of the grounds of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Forest park, the largest of these, dates from 1874. It is almost directly west of the business center. Its area of 1371 acres represents a cost of $2,304,669 for ground and improvements. The school system of Saint Louis is notable in several particulars, chiefly in its application of theory of manual training in connection with the work of Washington university, and in its pioneer work in illustrating the practical workings of the theories of Froebel. The city has begun supplying free books, and supports the free public library as an essential part of the system of public education. Among the private institutions are Washington university, with the Manual Training school and School of Fine Arts, University of Saint Louis, Forest Park University for Women, the Christian Brothers' college, the Saint Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Homeopathic Medical College of Missouri, the Missouri School for the Blind, the Kenrick Theological seminary, and the Saint Louis Law school, now a department of Washington university. The principal libraries are the Public and the Mercantile. Among minor libraries, that of the Missouri Historical society is most important. The principal theatres are the Olympic, the Century, the Garrick, the Grand Opera House, the Imperial, Havlin's, the Odéon (Grand Avenue), and the Columbia. The Grand Opera House has a seating capacity of 2200, and the Olympic 2400.

The railroad systems of which Saint Louis is a center converge here from all parts of the United States and also from Mexico and Canada, though the country in which the city has fostered railroad development most in marketing its output lies south of Nebraska and west of the Mississippi. The twenty-four railroads of which it is a terminus have dwarfed the influence of the Mississippi as the determining factor of its trade without lessening the great advantage of direct river communication with tide water. Though Saint Louis is important as a manufacturing city and markets its own industrial output, it is still more important commercially as a distributing center for products representing the entire country. Its location makes it a point of clearing between manufactured products and the products of the soil for which they are exchanged. East Saint Louis, the principal industrial suburb on the Illinois side of the river, is connected by the magnificent Eads Bridge for railroads, wagons, and foot passengers. (See Bridge.) The Merchants' Bridge connecting the Illinois terminals of Saint Louis railroads with the Union Station system of terminals is for railroads only. The Union Station covers about eleven acres of ground with its main building and adjacent sheds. Saint Louis is a port of entry. Its exports are chiefly to Mexico, South America, and the West Indies. Its direct trade with the Philippines, mainly in malt liquors, has assumed some importance. The principal export shipments of flour and grain are to Central and South America, Cuba, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, and Germany. Exports to Europe consist largely of provisions. The principal items are dry-salt and sweet pickled meats, oleo, lard and hides. Exports of agricultural supplies, hardware, electrical supplies, machinery, glass, etc., are mostly to Spanish America. The city is "the largest tobacco market in the world."