Dictionaries
Langenberg
Dictionary Collection
Thanks to Rosaleen Dickson for bringing this to my attention.
Langenberg.com
is a one-stop resource for phone numbers, reference books,
geographic information and more. Their collection of dictionaries,
all on one page makes searching a snap. (NOTE: A few of them
return POST errors, which probably means there's something
wrong with the forms Langenberg has set up — a bit annoying,
but it doesn't really detract from the usefulness of this
site.
Return to top
Merriam-Webster
Language Centre
This contains both a dictionary and thesaurus in one,
which can be very handy and a real time saver. As a bonus,
the site includes the transcripts of "Word
for the Wise," a series of broadcast articles on
words and word related subjects.
Return to top
Your
Dictionary.com
(Very slow loading, but packed with information.) Dictionary
and thesaurus searches side by side, not on separate pages.
A "language guesser" to help determine the origin of
a word. (In an informal test, the language guesser guessed
that "n'est pas" was possibly Estonian.) Their Library
is appealing to those with a strong interest in language,
language theory, and language use.
Return to top
Collective
Nouns
Ever wondered what a collection of crows is called? (A "murder.")
How about a batch of kangaroos? (A "mob.") A
Beastly Garden of Wordy Delights gives the collective
noun for over a hundred animals. For more than just animals,
try here.
Return to top
Baystreet.ca
Investment Glossary
Calling itself The Investors Community, the Baystreet.ca
site offers news and financial resources including numerous
resources for financial information including the handy Investment
Glossary.
Return to top
Word/Phrase
Origins
Wilton's
Word & Phrase Origins
An excellent site. Among its features are a good
list of words and phrases with origins or probable origins
and a site
search function provided by Google
An ongoing
discussion
by its members on etymological concerns
A Special
Topics section with various essays such as
A
Glossary of Hard-boiled Slang
This comes from, of all places, Miskatonic
University back in 1993. Don't be a bunny, barber with
the best of the yeggs.
The
Phrase Finder
Can look up a phrase with just one word, or can look up a
phrase for its meaning. Good, but as with so many of these
phrase sites (and even phrase books), there is a limited number
of phrases available. Which means you need more options. Such
as:
Mondegreens
You know how Jimmy Hendrix didn't really say "Scuse
me while I kiss this guy," but a lot of people thought
he did? Well, that kind of mistake is called a "Mondegreen"
and Jon Carroll's site has the history of the term along with
an impressive collection of examples. ("Will you still
need me/ Will you still feed me/ When I'm six feet four?"
)
Return to top
Editorial
Guidelines
Web
Resources From Editor's Association of Canada
 Great
resource site. Includes:
- Associations
- Books
& Book Publishing
- Design,
Typography, and Electronic Publishing
- Grammar,
Style, and Usage
- Language,
Linguistics, and Translation
- Reference
Shelf
The
Slot
Run by Bill Walsh, copy editor at The Washington Post.
It began in 1995 as the Crusty Old Slot Man's Copy-Editing
Peeve Page, but the title has since been shortened.
One
of the best features is Sharp
Points; short essays on various offenses, oddities and
just plain idiocies abounding in print.
Return to top
...
Simply Better Said
Run by Greg Morse with the stated intention of helping individuals
and companies speak more clearly, this site is an authoritative
and friendly examination of styles and word usage. He offers
customized services at a reasonable price, but much of his
content is free, such as his
basic style guide, Ask
the Word Guy, and even an ingenious diversionary page
called Just
4 Fun.
Return to top
Alt-usage-english.org
Great discussion site on usage, origins and all manner
of English topics. Good search function called "Perlfect
Search" (no, that's not a misprint)..
Return to top
The
Slot
Run by Bill Walsh, copy editor at The Washington Post.
It began in 1995 as the Crusty Old Slot Man's Copy-Editing
Peeve Page, but the title has since been shortened.
One
of the best features is Sharp
Points; short essays on various offenses, oddities and
just plain idiocies abounding in print.
Return to top
An
Editor's Pet Peeves
Run by Tim Sharp, this is a practical and lively guide
to the proper use of words in professional journalism.
Return to top
Webgrammar
This is an excellent site by Judy Vorfeld with tips on
grammar, usage and more links than you could ever possibly
want to look at. Of special interest are her Grammar Help
with Grammar
Basics, Confusing
Word Groups, Common
Grammatical Mistakes, and Idioms,
not to mention her BuzzWhack
magazine dedicated to demystifying buzzwords.
Return to top
The
Grammar Lady
Hosted by Mary Newton Bruder, this isn't so much a reference
guide as it is a chatty examination of various linguistic
topics. Practical and informal.
Return to top
Books
& Words
Bartleby.com
Best overall research tool for words, attributions, facts,
phrases, mythology and pretty well anything else. Has many
full-text classic fiction
and nonfiction
books online. Also:
Links
to Canadian Publishers
Links. Canadian. Publishers.
Return to top
Links
to Ontario Publishers
About.com's list of links to Ontario publishers.
Return to top
Canadian
Library Web Sites & Catalogues
Options to search by name, library type or region.
Return to top
|
