Declaration of Independence

Here's what I've come to expect from Online Etymology Dictionary, which calls itself "a map of the wheel- ruts of modern English" and which counts among its sources the Oxford English Dictionary (second edition) and Holthauzen's Etymologisches Wörterbuch der Englischen Sprache:

• An authoritative analysis of word origins
• An objective, academic, rather staid writing style
• An even-handed approach to the many varieties of English used throughout the world. 

Which is to say, I was startled to come across this partisan entry:

gaol

 see jail, you tea-sodden football hooligan.

Comments

[goofy]

Wow.

Anyway, I wish the Online Etymological Dictionary would cite sources in each entry.

[Karen]

Oh, oh, oh, that reminds me -- what's the word for a faux dictionary entry that is inserted randomly to prevent other publishers from just copying a dictionary and calling it their own? I used to know this....

[Nancy Friedman]

@Goofy: I agree re: citing sources.

@Karen: Don't know the dictionary-specific term, but in mapmaking it's called a copyright trap--or, more colorfully, a "bunny." (Although "bunny" may be a San Francisco regionalism--I've looked for citations from outside the Bay Area and couldn't find any.) I'm fascinated by this subject and have wanted to write a post about it for some time now.

[John Russell]

You can imagine, Nancy, how that description of me as a tea-sodden football hooligan makes me fume. I don't like tea and I don't like football -- maybe I'm not English. However, thanks for bringing it to my attention: perhaps you can send the lads round to see whoever wrote it -- assuming you can find out.

Me? I'll keep on using 'gaol', not because no one understands 'jail', but because it's old and quaint and needs my support.

[Karen]

Mountweazel! http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/08/29/050829ta_talk_alford

[Nancy Friedman]

@Karen: Oooh, that's good. I sense a Word of the Week in the offing.