This year marks the 90th anniversary of the greatest monument ever erected to the English language. In 1857, the idea of a comprehensive “dictionary of historical principles” was first presented. On June 1, 1928, the first two complete 12-volume sets were formally presented — one to King George V and one to President Calvin […]
I’m button–burstingly proud to announce that today I am celebrating my (gasp!) 80th birthday. Some of us try to turn back our life’s odometer. Others of us want people to know why we look this way. We admit that we have bumps and dents and scratches in our finish and the paint job is […]
DEAR RICHARD LEDERER: The other day, I was working a crossword and encountered a clue that read, “Pioneering hypnotist.” As you would know, his name was Mesmer which, I assume, is the origin of the word mesmerize. Please consider telling the stories of some of other famous names for the benefit of your readers. […]
A massive bronze sculpture of Rex the Lion now prowls the entrance of our world-famous zoo. As the story goes, our unsurpassed zoo started literally with a roar. On a warm September 16 in 1916, Dr. Harry Milton Wegeforth, a local physician, was driving back to his office with his brother, Paul, after performing […]
Today marks the sixth-year anniversary of “Lederer on Language” in the Union-Tribune. Thank you, fellow wordaholics, logolepts and verbivores, for your warm reception of my words about words. But when I look up the meaning of warm in the dictionary, I find the definition “not so hot.” I try hard to be a model […]
A couple whom I know tooled down to a local car emporium to look over the latest products. Attracted to the low sticker price on the basic model, they told the salesman that they were considering buying an unadorned automobile and had no inclination to purchase any of the long list of options affixed […]
For centuries a debate has raged about who really wrote the majestic plays and poems attributed to William Shakespeare, born in the English country town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Many authoritative voices — including Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Henry James, Sigmund Freud, John Gielgud and Derek Jacobi — have proposed alternative candidates, among them rival playwrights […]
Next Saturday, starting at 8 pm, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will show the enduring 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz” with live, lush reimaginations of the music, played by the full symphony orchestra. How did Oz start? L. Frank Baum, a frequent visitor to Coronado, was at various times a traveling salesman, […]
Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter was the earliest feast day decreed by the ancient Christian Church. Many Christians consider Easter to be the most important holiday in their faith. Like its Jewish predecessor, Passover, Easter is a movable feast, based on the lunar calendar […]
DEAR RICHARD LEDERER: I’m a retired English and Spanish teacher, and I am often called upon to proofread documents for the groups I belong to. One of my bugaboos is the misplacement of the word only in a sentence. Here’s an example: “Unlike other varieties of roses, green roses don’t have petals — they […]