Inherent fakeitude.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias put in fake entries to protect their copyright. The idea is that if somebody copies your dictionary and includes the fake word, you can tell they stole it from you. This article calls them "Mountweazels," after a fake entry in a 1975 encyclopedia.
No, that's not why there was an entry for "moose" in the old SWCCG Glossary. In fact, that entry was factually correct, so it doesn't really meet the criteria. That was just creeping Pythonism.
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3 comments:
Love the erudite punchline on that article. I guessed between the real fake word and "electrofish" and I haven't had any coffee yet so I'm feeling pretty smug.
Obviously I knew "earth loop". On a 3-pin plug, you guys call them Live, Neutral and Ground? Well, that's two things I've learned already today. Think I need to go have breakfast at Milliways!
If something was misspelled in the dictionary would anyone know?
- Enrique
Question authority. Always. Even statements like this one.
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