Anyone here have access to the OED online? I need to know if they’ve added the word hefeweizen since the 2nd edition.
I could not find it in the OED online; the nearest entries are “heeze, heize, v.” and “heffalump”.
Nope. Closest match is “heffalump”
Not nearly as tasty.
OK, thanks. Appreciate the prompt responses.
Now I have to find it in some other dictionary. So far, I’ve just found it in specialized dictionaries (i.e. those for food and drink). It’d be nice to find it in a general purpose one.
Incidentally, if you have a library card (in the US and quite a few other places), you might be able to gain free online access to the OED. Give your local librarian a call.
I suppose that if we all commit to using it enough, we could cause to get it added to the next version. Now we need special planning and a way to get the word used in the press, magazines, on TV, and in general speech.
Hefeweizen and VPILF.
Yes, that would be a good zweischenzug.
I’d do my part by ramping up my consumption of hefeweizen, but that would harm my commitment to the witbier lobby.
Don’t worry; I’m drinking enough unfiltered wheat beer for the both of us. You just keep on truckin’ with Wittekerke and friends.
Seriously, I find it pretty surprising that hefeweizen is not in there. But I know the OED is weird like that. Hell, I don’t even know what a heffalump is, but I suppose that’s a good reason for it to be in the dictionary.
Isn’t that zwischenzug?
(checking on google) Yes, my memory was correct - zwischenzug.
It’s also not in whatever dictionary Google uses to link to words in your search terms.
I’m not sure if that means they’re out of touch, or that I’ve been drinking too much beer lately.
All I know is that heffalump is better than no lump at all.
I do have a copy of the 2nd edition of the OED on CD-ROM and based on the bracketing words reported here, it looks like they haven’t updated the H’s yet on the on-line version. So there’s hope for it to be added yet.
But if you do want to add words to the OED, the thing to do is to find written citations and send them to the editors. Unfortunately, the label on your bottle of Widmer’s does not constitute the kind of citation they want…
Anyway, I may be able to get by without a dictionary entry for hefeweizen. I submitted it in a contest where an English word for a type of beer was required. The guy running the contest wants proof that it’s actually an English word and a dictionary entry would do that. But perhaps I can convince him by citing all the different brands of American-made hefeweizen on the market.
Tell him to google that beeyotch. There are 178,000 results, and clicking through the first five pages of results (that’s when I gave up), *all *of the linked websites are English-language. It’s clearly a word like ‘bratwurst’ that has entered the language, albeit mainly among people who know about beer.
You poor, deprived person. A Heffalump is an elephant-like creature from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Often seen in the company of Woozles, which are weasel-like.
They even have their own Wikipedia page, which in my world means you have really arrived.
Of course, hefeweizen has it’s own page, too.
I’m going to have to stay on Ace309’s lobby. Hoegaarden!
That put me in zugswang.
In case anyone was wondering, the guy running the contest decided to accept hefeweizen as a valid English word. I pointed out that not only is Widmer Hefeweizen one of the best selling micros here in Oregon and that most established microbrewers make a hefe, but even Anheuser-Busch and Miller make it (under the Michelob and Weinhard brands respectively). That was enough to convince him.
So thanks for the help here, even if it was mostly moral. Now we just have to get Merriam-Webster to recognize one of the best tasting beers around. I expect the OED will add it when they get around to updating the H’s. The last general update of the OED was in the late 80s and American hefeweizens were just getting started at the time.
Are you pulling my leg? (It’s zugzwang)