I Have Discovered Lexico

Writing Reference Tools

This might be my new favourite writer’s reference tool

As a writer I enjoy finding a new word or clarifying the use of grammar. I still have my old Collins English Usage, my Oxford rather large but concise dictionary and good old Roget’s Thesaurus in my office. And I do still turn to them from time to time. The smell of the old book pages. But the world is fast pacing and we want everything now. And we also want choice. Reaching out to the internet for a quick ‘look up’ is probably more likely.

I guess my fascination with the English language and all its inconsistencies came from my school days. If you were to ask me which subject I loved most in high school I would have to say English Language. Our English subject was split into language and literature — with literature only being made available to those who sat their language examination a year early.

English language did include reading or course. Many a lesson was spent reading out loud around the class. Mr Holland was our teacher. He will go down in history as one of only a handful (without counting even my thumb) of teachers who got my respect, and attention, at a very early age. Not just as an engaging teacher in his subject. But also because he had great humor and wit. He was incredibly sarcastic too.

I remember him coming into class one day and opening up with a story about lemmings. A story which ended with said lemmings diving off the cliff in stripey socks? I nearly died of embarrassment as the whole class just turned at the mention of those socks. There was only one girl in the whole school who wore them. He was talking about me! Dashing across the road and almost ending up across his car bonnet that same morning. It worked. I never did it again.

Aside from his funny stories (he had plenty), my favourite topic was grammar. We used to have a whole lesson devoted to it each week and I loved it.

I still recall the fundamentals but from time to time I need a quick check, a reference.

I discovered this wee gem only very recently. A friend of mine, a fanatical and incredibly competent digital content writer and adviser…

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