# There's a dictionary next to my PC lately... (OR, how not to look dumb on the SDMB) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 22, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147 "2002-09-22T17:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/1 "2002-09-22T17:25:07Z")
OK, I’ll admit it - while I considered journalism as a youth, and I currently write professionally as a sideline, I’m not the greatest speller in the world. I also lose command of the language on occasion - brain dumps and all that. So, I tend to have a small Webster’s dictionary sitting here on the desk next to the PC. There’s also a copy of Strunk & White’s _The Elements of Style_ here as well. On most of the message boards on which I participate, I don’t feel a great need for these publications. Here on the SDMB, however, I feel the need to aspire to a higher standard. In other words, either you people have corrupted me or enlightened me, depending on your point of view. I’m curious - how many others out there keep language and writing aids handy while doping? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/2 "2002-09-22T17:26:34Z")
I don’t, but I’m starting to think I ought to. Lately I’ve been catching myself before hitting “Submit Reply” just to make _absolutely_ sure that a particular word I used means what I think it does. ---
**Author:** ![dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/3 "2002-09-22T17:58:18Z")
I’m not ashamed to admit I have a Dictionary and a Thesaurus handy at all times. I also try to remember if I write out a long post, to check it in spell check before posting. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/4 "2002-09-22T17:59:54Z")
Open up a second window and go to [www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com), then minimize it. It’s the on-line version of the Merriam-Webster Tenth Collegiate dictionary (with an attached thesaurus). You can enter partial words using asterisk wild cards if you’re unsure of the spelling. When you need to check, hit the button, do your look-up, then minimize it, again. I do that with the M-W and with the Britannica when I’m cruising information/discussion type web sites. (And, yeah, my puter _is_ set up next to two of my reference bookcases.) ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/5 "2002-09-22T18:00:54Z")
If I’m unsure, I check [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) (respect). If I’m nitpicking, I check the OED (fear). And of course, the odd word crops up here that I don’t know (syncretism was yesterday’s). ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/6 "2002-09-22T18:16:25Z")
I keep the dictionary, thesaurus, a strunk and white’s, and The Little, Brown Handbook near the computer as well as a few other resource books. It helps me on the SDMB and KidSthrnAccent with school work. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/7 "2002-09-22T18:23:38Z")
I don’t keep refs handy (though I’ll second the OP’s respect for S&W and I have an old OED) since I can spell; I just can’t type. I do read over just about everything before I post. Yes, sometimes I skip that and see it the instant I submit. See also [http://www.m-w.com/](http://www.m-w.com/) and [http://www.dictionary.com/](http://www.dictionary.com/) . ---
**Author:** ![Potter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Potter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/8 "2002-09-22T19:03:32Z")
I spellcheck everything in Word before posting as I’m slightly dyslexic, and I’ve also had years to come to terms with the fact that my grammar sense and punctuation will always be slightly, uhh, flighty. Now, if only MS did an Opinion/Attitude checker as well… ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/9 "2002-09-22T20:13:42Z")
I’ve got it worse. Not only do I have a dictionary by the computer, my Bible also seems to have migrated here, along with a concordance. The dictionary I could justify for work but not the Bible! CJ ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/10 "2002-09-22T23:18:52Z")
I’ve had a dictionary by my computer long before I started doping. Of course, there are the websites like [www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) that can come in handy as well. Haven’t got a thesaurus yet, so maybe I should get one… who knows? And yes, I do spellcheck most of the time, as sometimes I can’t type well at all. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/11 "2002-09-23T03:34:56Z")
I don’t know - I’ve used the online dictionaries and I think I’m still enough of a troglodite to like actually thumbing through the pages of a non-virtual version… ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/12 "2002-09-23T12:33:26Z")
Yup… me too… I have a copy of Webster’s that came with a CD-ROM of the dictionary. I open up the dictionary program and leave it on the taskbar when I am doping (it has a dictionary and a thesaurus, so I kill two birds with one stone!). Never go, depart, take leave, withdraw, move, set out, come away, go forth, take off, start, remove oneself, step down, quit (a place), part, part company, defect, vanish, elope, retire, walk out, walk off, get out, get off, get away, slip away, break away, break out, ride off, go off, go away, move out, move away, vacate, issue, decamp, abscond, flee, get out, flit, migrate, fly, run along, embark, emplane, sally forth, say good-by, entrain, emigrate, clear out, pull out, cut out\*, push off\*, cast off, scram\*, split\*, blow\*, head out\*, ditch\*, give the slip\*, vamoose\*, sign out\*, check out\*, beat it\*, take a powder\*, take to the tall timber\*, get rolling\*, fade away\*, pull up stakes\*, get along\*, make oneself scarce\*, break squares with\*, bid a long farewell\*; see also disappear, resign 2, retreat 1, 2. home without one! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-dictionary-next-to-my-pc-lately-or-how-not-to-look-dumb-on-the-sdmb/129147/13 "2002-09-23T14:08:03Z")
I’m a terrible writter and speller so if I don’t know how to spell a word I will put it through the spell checker. I normally don’t put a whole post though the spell checker though. I don’t have a dictionary at work, but I do have a huge one at home now.