Customer Reviews

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: Thumb Indexed

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The clarity of the typeface and page design of this, the 2002 edition, is beyond compare. It is by far the most enjoyable dictionary to view, in my experience at least, and a great improvement over the previous edition.
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Prior to purchase, I borrowed a friend's Compact Oxford English Dictionary with magnifying glass, thinking this might be preferable. While incredibly entertaining, with its extensive historical quotations, the format ultimately defeated me. In natural light, I could read the microtype with the nude eye, however this was a strain. This made it difficult to search within an entry for the particular sub-definition pertinent to my needs, and it discouraged incidental exploration of surrounding words (one of the great joys of a dictionary, for me) - the magnifier, with its limited field, does not rectify these problems - if anything it exacerbates them.
*
In contrast, this edition of the Shorter Oxford makes it a pleasure to browse adjacent words - the main words, in startlingly clear bold type, leap off the page and tickle one's interest; and within an entry orientation is easy.
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This is a very comprehensive dictionary in its own right. Initially I was concerned that it comes billed as featuring only a third of the entries of the full (or Compact) OED. The concerns were unwarranted - the Shorter contains every word used by Shakespeare, the standard version of the Bible, and a host of arcane usages - with this on the bookshelf, one can read Cormac McCarthy and feel safe.
*
All in all, if the aesthetics of using a dictionary matter to you, as they do for me, then this must come close to being the perfect edition.

I ordered this 2-volume dictionary after purchasing, and subsequently returning, the latest edition of the Compact Oxford Dictionary. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary is very easy on the eyes and quite a good browsing dictionary. The micrographic Compact Oxford Dictionary is certainly more exhaustive but is a real pain in the gluteus maximus to use (e.g., the eyestrain it inflicts, even with the big magnifying glass, etc). Oxford Publishing made a big, big mistake in going from a two-volume set with four OED pages reproduced onto each page to a one-volume tome with nine OED pages reproduced onto each page when they published the second edition of the Compact Oxford Dictionary.

Anyhow, the Shorter Oxford is a happy compromise if you haven't the shelf space or the budget for the 20-volume OED. However, I somehow feel that a bit too much page space is wasted in this latest edition. I realize they allowed for a lot of space between entries, margin area, etc in order for the book to be more eye-friendly, but I'd rather they'd used more of the available space to include more of the contents of the OED.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent reference, and certainly better than any ordinary dictionary for home, school, or office.

(However, I must admit I'd someday like to own the full 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary(OED))

I am very upset with this 2 volume dictionary by Oxford. Having read previous reviews dated back to 2003 on defective copies, I was hoping that in 2005 there would be no more defective copies in circulation.

However, after receiving my copy I am missing pages 1122-1171 and 1219-1221 missing from the 1st volume. From the 2nd volume I have pages 1795-1828 inserted between pages 3692 and 3705.

I contacted Amazon and they are sending me a replacement copy. They let me keep the defective copies as the shipping costs were too expensive for Amazon to reimburse me.

If the replacement copies are defective again, I will ask Amazon for a refund.

If you are planning on purchase a copy, be careful, check the other reviews for potential defects. Remember you always have the option for a refund.

I'll agree with everything that most reviewers have to say about the Shorter OED. If you're a serious writer, it's a valuable resource, since it includes all of the words in common English use since 1700, plus words included in earlier major writers such as Shakespeare. It's particularly useful if you're interested in the history of words and how definitions or spellings may have changed over time. In my own writing, I deal with material that spans different eras that may be in a document or part of an era I'm writing about. If the historical aspect is less important to you than just getting a reference for spelling, pronunciation and meaning, I'd recommend Merrium Webster's or American Heritage.

Although a great resource, I did find a printing defect in my copy -- pages 3704-3693 are bound upside down.

Great book, and a great value. I bought three: one for me, and two for Christmas gifts.

Nothing to add that hasn't been said in other reviews, except for this: The pronunciations are English (as in United Kingdom), not American, pronunciations of words. It will not assist with discerning American pronunciations.

Second, the pronunciation symbols are traditional linguistic symbols (Sorry, but I don't know the term for this), and not the usual symbols seen in common dictionaries such as Webster's. It takes some learning, but you get used to it quickly.

Third: Watch out for DEFECTIVE PRINTS. I bought three copies, and two of them contain PAGES OUT OF SEQUENCE. The two bad copies have pages 3501 through 3548 bound between pages 3404 and 3405. Not a dealbreaker, but inconvenient.
Amazon was very helpful in facilitating an exchange.

Fun book to read and peruse. Have fun.

I did a fair bit of internet research reading to try to determine what the best dictionary was in the $100-$150 range. For the non-fanatic, this 2-volume set covers pretty much everything you need. If you are a word fanatic, then drop $1000 on the 20-volume OED. The layout of the Shorter OED (think "unabridged") is superb, and the entries are up-to-date, unlike the "new" editions of some competing dictionaries. You can't go wrong with this purchase.

Why bother with other, lesser dictionaries? This one takes hardly any more space, it is just a bit more expensive, but it stands head and shoulders above the others out there.

It is set in an easy-to-read type, it has word origins, it has a really nice three-column layout that puts more on each page.

Frankly, I prefer it in ease-of-use to the entire 20 volume OED.

I suppose someday soon, large dictionaries will only exisit as computer files. When that sad time comes, I will keep this dictionary on my writing table.

As a writer, as someone who loves words and word origins, and as someone who loves to know what words mean and how to use them correctly, I have to say: I love this.
I love this dictionary.
Two enormous books full of nothing but words and their meanings! Wow! All right! Yee-haw! I'm a-gonna get up and dance! Hoo-wee! Yeah! Feelin' prancy! Right on.
The pages' type is bold and easy to read, the entries are concise yet complete, and I think only once or twice--in years--have I ever looked up a word and not found it in here.
These dictionaries sit on my shelf next to me as I write, and it's like I always have two knowledgable friends on hand to answer my questions, to enlighten me, or just to distract and entertain me.
If you're going to get a dictionary, get this one--not if you want a handy reference to tote with you on a backpacking trip, no, not then. But if you want something to stand by through the years, to teach and inform you, you should seriously consider this one.

Five stars for the book itself and the new edition is an improvement over the previous edition in text, layout and readabilty. I was delighted to get it but I advise all purchasers to check their copies. Difficult to look at every page, I agree, but my copy received in November 2006 is missing approx 50 pages between "argonaut" p114 and "axon" p163. I may be the unlucky one but you should at least check this area.

Pep claimed this dictionary does not contain the word "download." Because "download" is formed from the prefix "down-" it appears under the headword "down-" rather than under the headword "download."

Pep might counter that a dictionary 'that complicated to use' ought to come with an instruction manual. It does, appearing at the beginning of the first volume.