The Meaning of Everything

The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary

By: Simon Winchester

Narrated by: Simon Winchester

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman, The Map That Changed the World, and Krakatoa comes a truly wonderful celebration of the English language and of its unrivaled treasure house, the Oxford English Dictionary.

Writing with marvelous brio, Winchester first serves up a lightning history of the English language - "so vast, so sprawling, so wonderfully unwieldy" - and pays homage to the great dictionary makers, from "the irredeemably famous" Samuel Johnson to the "short, pale, smug and boastful" schoolmaster from New Hartford, Noah Webster. He then turns his unmatched talent for story-telling to the making of this most venerable of dictionaries. In this fast-paced narrative, the reader will discover lively portraits of such key figures as the brilliant but tubercular first editor Herbert Coleridge (grandson of the poet), the colorful, boisterous Frederick Furnivall (who left the project in a shambles), and James Augustus Henry Murray, who spent a half-century bringing the project to fruition. Winchester lovingly describes the nuts-and-bolts of dictionary making - how unexpectedly tricky the dictionary entry for marzipan was, or how fraternity turned out so much longer and monkey so much more ancient than anticipated - and how bondmaid was left out completely, its slips found lurking under a pile of books long after the B-volume had gone to press. We visit the ugly corrugated iron structure that Murray grandly dubbed the Scriptorium - the Scrippy or the Shed, as locals called it - and meet some of the legion of volunteers, from Fitzedward Hall, a bitter hermit obsessively devoted to the OED, to W. C. Minor, whose story is one of dangerous madness, ineluctable sadness, and ultimate redemption.

The Meaning of Everything is a scintillating account of the creation of the greatest monument ever erected to a living language. Simon Winchester's supple, vigorous prose illuminates this dauntingly ambitious project - a 70-year odyssey to create the grandfather of all word-books, the world's unrivalled uber-dictionary.

©2003 Simon Winchester (P)2003 HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With his usual winning blend of scholarship and accessible, skillfully paced narrative...[Simon] Winchester successfully brings readers inside the day-to-day operations of the massive project and shows us the unrelenting passion of people...who, in the end, succeeded magnificently. Winchester's book will be required reading for word mavens and anyone interested in the history of our marvelous, ever-changing language." (Publishers Weekly)
"Teeming with knowledge and alive with insights. Winchester handles humor and awe with modesty and cunning." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Entrancing." (Chicago Tribune)

If you love words, you'll love this book- Fabulous

A very human story about defining the English language and the depth and breadth of the generational effort to bring it to completion (if such a thing is possible with so fluid a topic. ) Winchester is becoming my favorite author/narrator. He masters the topic, using so many fabulous words in recounting the events behind the monumental effort by many, many people to document the way we express ourselves and what it all means.

Wonderful listening

A bit shorter than Winchester's other books this one is none the less as informative and interesting as all of his other works. Mr. Winchester brings to life the personalities of the dedicated men that labored for an astounding number of years to produce what is, I believe, the greatest contribution to the recognition and importance of both the spoken and written word of the English speaking world, The Oxford English Dictionary.

Not a bad history of the OED

A very interesting listen with lots of information about the people involved in making the dictionary and a fair amount about the words that comprise it as well as some insights into the lexicographer's art.

Aptly, Simon Winchester manages to wield a delightfully rich vocabulary in telling his history.

Absolutely fascinating!

Where does The Meaning of Everything rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In terms of non-fiction books the Meaning of Everything ranks well up the list of my prior audiobooks. It's such a great story, and the English accent of the reader works so well for the content, just loved it.

Brilliant

Another brilliant book by Simon Winchester. He reads it beautifully. Strongly recommended to anyone interested in the history of the English language and of the people who study it.

Thank you, Sir Winchester

Once again, Simon Winchester delivers! Well, spoken and well written. I learned so much. Maria.

A New Appreciation

When you finish listening to this book, you will have a new found respect and admiration for dictionaries and the enduring characters who are responsible for creating them. Some complained that the book was nothing but a thesaurus of word origins. True, it starts out that way, but it definitely does not end that way. You are taken through decades of struggle, defeat and ultimate success. How the OED was ever completed was a miracle, but also a testament to the strength and endurance of the men who created it.

A national treasure

Simon Winchester is surely, a national treasure. A learned man, a great author and a wonderful performer. Having read "The professor and the mad man", " The Pacific" and now "The meaning of everything", I have become a steadfast fan. What a polymath (ha... the definition awaits you!) and inspiration for those of us who aspire to the same, only for the mere love of it. Thank-you Mr Winchester!

Prequel and sequel to another great Winchester book

If you enjoyed The Professor and The Madman as much as I did, The Meaning of Everything will delight you. Simon Winchester is a masterful storyteller and an inexhaustible source of fascinating trivia about the English language and the people who worked on the O.E.D. Can’t wait to read (or listen to) more of his books.

Engaging-Try It!

I bought this audio book because I love words but it was so much more than just a story of words. It was the story of a massive undertaking by fascinating people transcending 80 years which resulted in the English language having order for the first time. The plot contained protagonists and foils all with quirks and peccadilloes. The words were rich and joyous, but l enjoyed the people and the story more. It was clear that the author loved his material and by reading it himself did more justice to it than someone else reading it. I hope that this book might find a wide audience because it is a most deserving narrative.

I have listened to nearly three dozen audiobooks and i would definitely rate this in the top 5.

This is the type of book that outside the normal course for many listeners that I would encourage them to try. You will be pleasantly surprised.