Comments on: The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester http://pedestriansaga.com/archives/2008/05/11/250/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:44:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: pedestriansaga http://pedestriansaga.com/archives/2008/05/11/250/#comment-48216 pedestriansaga Thu, 15 May 2008 05:41:01 +0000 http://pedestriansaga.com/archives/2008/05/11/250/#comment-48216 Aha! I hoped this might draw out the lexicography nerds! Editor A, so glad you enjoyed the review; previous comments of yours (and psychic waves too, perhaps) goaded me to sit my butt down and write it. I discovered access to the OED online through the university library--sweet!--and of course studied the entries for "peotomy" and his brethren. I fondly recall that once upon a time you too sported a "magnificently fecund arrangement" of facial hair. Wish I'd have thought to compliment it as such. :) Aha! I hoped this might draw out the lexicography nerds! Editor A, so glad you enjoyed the review; previous comments of yours (and psychic waves too, perhaps) goaded me to sit my butt down and write it.

I discovered access to the OED online through the university library–sweet!–and of course studied the entries for “peotomy” and his brethren.

I fondly recall that once upon a time you too sported a “magnificently fecund arrangement” of facial hair. Wish I’d have thought to compliment it as such. :)

]]> By: Editor A http://pedestriansaga.com/archives/2008/05/11/250/#comment-48159 Editor A Mon, 12 May 2008 16:13:51 +0000 http://pedestriansaga.com/archives/2008/05/11/250/#comment-48159 That sounds fantastic! Nice review. I saw the title in your "what I've been reading" section a while back and I almost harassed you in your comments section for info, but here you have psychically delivered. It seems "penectomy" is the more common parlance nowadays. (And you can affix "auto" to it if you so desire.) Although "peotomy" is tucked safely away in the Oxford online (presumably sourcing from Unabridged). I wonder if back in those days peotomy was the medical procedure used to cure priapism. :) That sounds fantastic! Nice review. I saw the title in your “what I’ve been reading” section a while back and I almost harassed you in your comments section for info, but here you have psychically delivered. It seems “penectomy” is the more common parlance nowadays. (And you can affix “auto” to it if you so desire.) Although “peotomy” is tucked safely away in the Oxford online (presumably sourcing from Unabridged). I wonder if back in those days peotomy was the medical procedure used to cure priapism. :)

]]>