One writes to find words' meanings.
Writing will be like a journey, every word a footstep that takes me further into undiscovered land.
Don't just read words,' he would tell her as he held up the latest story, 'devour them. Let the words create new worlds.
In the secret pocket, she often kept a small pocket dictionary, which she would take out whenever she encountered a word she did not know.
What I want is for people to really grab hold of language and not be nervous about it. 'The Word Spy' is all about diving in and playing with words.
I think I have done well, if I have acquired a new word from a good author; and my business with him is to find my own, though itwere only to melt him down into an epithet or an image for daily use.
I'm a frotteur, someone who likes to rub words in his hand, to turn them around and feel them, to wonder if that really is the best word possible.
Actually if a writer needs a dictionary he should not write. He should have read the dictionary at least three times from beginning to end and then have loaned it to someone who needs it. There are only certain words which are valid and similes (bring me my dictionary) are like defective ammunition (the lowest thing I can think of at this time).
I used to go through the dictionary looking for unusual but nontechnical words. At one time, I thought the greatest word was 'jejune' and I would throw it into every piece because something about it appealed to me.
I have respect for literature. If he found the words, if she found the words - this is a book!
Personally, as a student who loves words, who loves texts, I am concerned with finding something in the text from within.
It's fun to read things when you don't know all the words. Even children love it... they come up against weird words, and the weird words excite them.
