A Corpus-Based Lexicography
A Review of
Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary
Stefan Fatsis
Hardcover: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2025
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Reviewed by Rachel Goddard
It is satisfying to finally receive an answer to the age-old English teacher debate: is “irregardless” a word? Microsoft Word says no (but apparently “irrespective” is?). Mirriam-Webster says it is. An editor during the discussion prior to publishing the Seventh Collegiate Edition declared it an example of words that “are disapproved by many but that have some currency in reputable contexts” (123). So Stefan Fatsis relates in his highly entertaining Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary. The 300-page book took Fatsis over a decade of research to produce; he follows a recent trend in which an author uses a single odd subject to weave many threads into a broad, delightful tapestry.
The book’s central argument is that in a world of Google, Wikipedia, and now artificial intelligence, dictionaries still play a vital role in documenting the evolution of language. Fatsis loosely follows the history of dictionaries through the experience of the definitive American dictionary company, Mirriam-Webster. Like many other things that once seemed entirely obvious, the role of dictionaries is now in question. Early in the book, Fatsis explains he thought “the job of the dictionary was firmly established: to identify words that appear consistently in professionally edited media over an unspecified but sustained time; to define them according to a bunch of rules that I learned and will explain as needed; and to publish them online” (4). He also spends time questioning, as many dictionary companies have, whether dictionaries should reflect a language or dictate it (42). Even after his time embedded at Mirriam-Webster, the answer to neither question was clear.
“The old joke was that a dictionary was out of date the second it was printed” (19). I immediately thought (and immediately was ashamed) – then why do it? This book is the answer. We have all seen instances in our personal and professional lives in which the wrong word has had disastrous effects. At the level of national discourse, these words can have life-or-death consequences. Words matter deeply, and understanding how the person across from you (or reading your words on the internet) is likely to interpret your meaning is serious business. Yet of late our society seems to be guilty of two simultaneous infractions: using words far too casually (or overusing them until they lose their meaning altogether) and giving some words far too much power.
Fatsis explains how dictionaries have handled and mishandled racial slurs (in a chapter titled “Slur”) better than I have seen handled before. He reveals how a word can warp over time and how its impact depends on whose mouth utters it. I was struck by his quoting of Merriam editor Emily Brewster, responsible for Merriam’s latest update to the “n-word”: “Defining by usage note is especially helpful for emphasizing that the definition is describing how the word behaves in the language…With offensive words, the word’s function is often the kernel of its meaning; the word is a vehicle for belittling, disparaging, insulting, etc., and doesn’t have much meaning beyond that” (177). Those bearing the brunt of such words have been telling the wielders about their wounds all along. A lexicographer explains why and in so doing tells us why lexicography still matters.
I could spend another thousand words giving more reasons to pick up the book: I rooted for the author’s attempts to get words such as “hairography” included in Mirriam-Webster; I was nerdily fascinated by the idea of a “corpus-based lexicography” that uses computing to reveal insights into how humans use language; and I chuckled at the sly humor throughout. Mostly I commend it to you as a well-researched, charmingly told tale, the perfect combination of intellectual exploration and engaging read.
Rachel Goddard
Rachel Goddard is an insatiable bookworm and avid crafter. She is the Director of Operations for a small non-profit, after 14 years with the federal government. She holds a master's in Defense and Strategic Studies from Missouri State University and a Bachelor's in Political Science and International Relations from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Richard, and her cat, Izzy.
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