The Perfect Writerly Gift

Cheryl Fassett ♦ June 15, 2018 ♦ 1 Comment

What do you get a writer on such a momentous birthday as the big five-oh??

Why, a vintage, mint condition dictionary, of course!
With a magnifying glass to help these old eyes read it. 😊

This is the 2nd edition Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language, unabridged, originally published in 1934. This particular copy was printed in 1943.

It is beautiful! And mammoth! Picture that giant dictionary that held a place of honor in the elementary school library, the one that you were allowed to approach only with permission.

The edges of the pages still have a multicolored design that is only slightly faded in spots. The pages are clean and crisp with very little signs of aging. The binding is tight. And there is no attic odor like you get with so many old books.

With over 600,000 entries and a 400 page Reference History of the World, this tome will meet every possible word I could throw at it! It list definitions in chronological order for each entry so there are many definitions that are obsolete.

Filled with thousands of illustrations and full color plates, it is a feast for the eyes.

Thanks to Mr. Webster, for such a fabulous celebration of the English language!

I will cherish this for all my days!