The <i>Plain Account</i> is so infamous, you ought to be asham'd to own, <i>you submit to it.</i> 'Tis well if you did not write it your self: It has 92 Errors or <i>Ignotoisms</i> in it.
The word appears in the context of a long-running theological debate in The Gentleman's Magazine taking the form of correspondence between a person going by the name ‘Ignoto’ (i.e. ‘Anonymous’) and readers of the magazine.
As a result of a misreading, N.E.D. (1899) entered the quotation under the headword ignotism with the definition ‘A mistake due to ignorance’.
So ignotism never really existed at all: the word is Ignotoism and OED 3 glosses it as "an error typical of Ignoto".
The OED determined in 1898 that this word doesn't exist in English: it appears only in some editions of one work and is a misprint for fury that appears in earlier editions
This word doesn't exist. It is in Century only because it is in Johnson (1755), but Johnson based his entry on a misprint, and Todd dropped it from the 1818 edition. This is a case of harmful drudges carefully transporting nonsense from one dictionary to another (Nabokov).
email address: I have a feeling that I won't be able to use WinCim anymore (oh weep and wail!) but I hope that I can continue to use Eudora--I know most of you guys don't have your cserve accounts anymore but I still consider my cserve addy as my primary...
Comments by boargules
boargules commented on the word ignotism
Here is what OED3 says about this non-word:
The only citation is from 1737:
The <i>Plain Account</i> is so infamous, you ought to be asham'd to own, <i>you submit to it.</i> 'Tis well if you did not write it your self: It has 92 Errors or <i>Ignotoisms</i> in it.
The word appears in the context of a long-running theological debate in The Gentleman's Magazine taking the form of correspondence between a person going by the name ‘Ignoto’ (i.e. ‘Anonymous’) and readers of the magazine.
As a result of a misreading, N.E.D. (1899) entered the quotation under the headword ignotism with the definition ‘A mistake due to ignorance’.
So ignotism never really existed at all: the word is Ignotoism and OED 3 glosses it as "an error typical of Ignoto".
July 26, 2023
boargules commented on the word furt
The OED determined in 1898 that this word doesn't exist in English: it appears only in some editions of one work and is a misprint for fury that appears in earlier editions
January 2, 2023
boargules commented on the word gunter
All of the following citations are for gonna and not for gunter in the given sense.
"Here's the hat what you're gunter wear; -- give it to him, Cresh!"
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 82, August, 1864
"Tell him we're all a-gunter have a ride," said Joe.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 83, September, 1864
I'm a-gunter set straddle on the ridge-pole, an 'carry a flag.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 83, September, 1864
Oh, mammy! they're gunter snake th 'ole house through the village to-morrer, an' we're all gunter have a ride! free gratis for nothin '!
April 23, 2021
BoarGules commented on the word qually
And so equally are the citations from
-- Laurence Sterne (miserably scanned: it should be "These most especial worthies, at once both knaves and fools, equally squander both.")
-- Goa Blog
-- Literature Notes
-- Laura Wood (linebreak: e-qually)
and all the other citations that appear to present qually as an adverb.
January 10, 2018
BoarGules commented on the word congrument
This word doesn't exist. It is in Century only because it is in Johnson (1755), but Johnson based his entry on a misprint, and Todd dropped it from the 1818 edition. This is a case of harmful drudges carefully transporting nonsense from one dictionary to another (Nabokov).
April 14, 2012
BoarGules commented on the word tresette
There is a scanning error in the definition from Century: for _live_ read _five_.
November 12, 2010
BoarGules commented on the word qually
Citation from dailyindia.com is clearly a literal for Equally.
December 20, 2009
BoarGules commented on the word Dot
zol is a South African word for joint.
Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles (Oxford, 1996): "a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette"
May 30, 2009
BoarGules commented on the word addy
email address: I have a feeling that I won't be able to use WinCim anymore (oh weep and wail!) but I hope that I can continue to use Eudora--I know most of you guys don't have your cserve accounts anymore but I still consider my cserve addy as my primary...
Retrieved 16 May 2009 from http://www.desktoppublishingforum.com/bb/showthread.php?t=6424
May 16, 2009