Dictionary Pictures Aren’t Superfluous

Remember dictionaries? I’m not talking about those online things we all access now. I’m referring to those big, dusty, old books that took up shelf space in our classrooms and homes.

An 1888 advertisement for Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They’d wait there on their shelves, standing by for the next chance to go to work as the ultimate arbiters of important matters like spelling, pronunciation, use, and meaning.

Some dictionaries were so revered that they were far too special to sit on a mere shelf. They sat in a special holder that sat on top of the shelves that held all the lesser books.

When you respected a word enough to ensure you were using it correctly, a dictionary was the friend you wanted by your side. Read the rest of this entry »