“Utterly delightful. Highly recommended for all word lovers curious about the people who codified English vocabulary throughout time.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“A large, beautifully produced volume with hundreds of photos that moves from the early 16th century to the online dictionaries of today—along with biographical sketches of the ‘colorful characters’ who have devoted their lives to this work. It’s enough to drive a person crazy—and it sometimes does.”
—Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Club

“Bountiful photos show the exteriors and interiors of the volumes discussed, and the authors’ decision to highlight less obvious lexicographic volumes—such as poet Clarence Major’s 1970 compilation of African American slang, a 1972 rundown of ‘LGBTQ lingo,’ and the online Urban Dictionary—ensure the proceedings don’t get stodgy. Bibliophiles will swoon for this sweeping survey.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This fascinating history of English language dictionaries shows their evolution from fifteenth-century glossaries of early English through current online dictionaries . . . A delight for lexicographers, etymologists, philologists, and word geeks.”
—Booklist

“Bibliophiles will swoon for this sweeping survey.” “What an achievement for both Bryan A. Garner and Jack Lynch. Hardly Harmless Drudgery serves multiple constituencies, appealing both to the curious lover of books and to the scholar. We are fortunate that through Godine, the authors have made the book commercially accessible to everyone. It’s a rare coffee-table book that marries beautiful photography with first-rate scholarship.”
—David E. Vancil, Retired Director, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Indiana State University

“Hardly Harmless Drudgery is an exciting and enriching read, an intellectually delectable feast for anyone who loves the beauty of dictionaries and the richness of their cultural content.”
—Edward Finegan, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Law, University of Southern California

“Utterly delightful. Highly recommended for all word lovers curious about the people who codified English vocabulary throughout time.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“A large, beautifully produced volume with hundreds of photos that moves from the early 16th century to the online dictionaries of today—along with biographical sketches of the ‘colorful characters’ who have devoted their lives to this work. It’s enough to drive a person crazy—and it sometimes does.”
—Ron Charles, Washington Post Book Club

“Bountiful photos show the exteriors and interiors of the volumes discussed, and the authors’ decision to highlight less obvious lexicographic volumes—such as poet Clarence Major’s 1970 compilation of African American slang, a 1972 rundown of ‘LGBTQ lingo,’ and the online Urban Dictionary—ensure the proceedings don’t get stodgy. Bibliophiles will swoon for this sweeping survey.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This fascinating history of English language dictionaries shows their evolution from fifteenth-century glossaries of early English through current online dictionaries . . . A delight for lexicographers, etymologists, philologists, and word geeks.”
—Booklist

“Bibliophiles will swoon for this sweeping survey.” “What an achievement for both Bryan A. Garner and Jack Lynch. Hardly Harmless Drudgery serves multiple constituencies, appealing both to the curious lover of books and to the scholar. We are fortunate that through Godine, the authors have made the book commercially accessible to everyone. It’s a rare coffee-table book that marries beautiful photography with first-rate scholarship.”
—David E. Vancil, Retired Director, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Indiana State University

“Hardly Harmless Drudgery is an exciting and enriching read, an intellectually delectable feast for anyone who loves the beauty of dictionaries and the richness of their cultural content.”
—Edward Finegan, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Law, University of Southern California

Bryan A. Garner is an author, lawyer, grammarian, and lexicographer. He has written over 25 books, including standard references such as Garner’s Modern English Usage and Legal Writing in Plain English. His friendship with novelist David Foster Wallace resulted in Quack This Way: David Foster Wallace and Bryan A. Garner Talk Language and Writing. He is Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University. Jack Lynch is an educator and author whose books include The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of “Proper” English, from Shakespeare to South Park and You Could Look It Up: The Reference Shelf from Ancient Babylon to Wikipedia. He is Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark.