In the eighteenth century dictionaries were referred to as Richard Snarys for reasons that should be obvious. There's a story that some chap asked his butler to fetch a dictionary and the confused servant set off round London enquiring after Mr Richard Snary, but it's probably nonsense.
Being the weblog of Mark Forsyth
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Richard Snary
In the eighteenth century dictionaries were referred to as Richard Snarys for reasons that should be obvious. There's a story that some chap asked his butler to fetch a dictionary and the confused servant set off round London enquiring after Mr Richard Snary, but it's probably nonsense.
No, no, no, don't say it's nonsense. It's wonderful. It has to be true.
ReplyDeleteVery similar to the fabled Emma Chiset. Monica Dickens was signing books in Sydney. Someone brought one to the table and asked about the price. And Monica wrote "to Emma Chiset".
ReplyDeleteSo that's how they pronounced it in the C18th. No dickshunrees then.
ReplyDelete