Dear all,

Samuel Johnson famously defined a lexicographer as "a harmless drudge".
Have any other lexicographers or linguists made similarly
self-deprecating statements about their profession? (I tried some web
searches but came up empty-handed; ChatGPT provided some real zingers
from the likes of Ferdinand de Saussure, Noam Chomsky, and David
Crystal, alas all hallucinated.)

Regards,
Tristan

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Ar an t-ochtú lá déag de mí Lúnasa, scríobh Tristan Miller:

Samuel Johnson famously defined a lexicographer as "a harmless drudge". Have any other lexicographers or linguists made similarly self-deprecating statements about their profession? (I tried some web searches but came up empty-handed; ChatGPT provided some real zingers from the likes of Ferdinand de Saussure, Noam Chomsky, and David Crystal, alas all hallucinated.)

Part of the difficulty with this is that Chomsky and e.g. Boas have and had egos the size of North America. I do think one needs a robust self-confidence to be good in the field, above and beyond what those around you would support, something which will not make people quick to self-deprecation.

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

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On 8/19/2024 12:41 AM, Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an t-ochtú lá déag de mí Lúnasa, scríobh Tristan Miller:

> Samuel Johnson famously defined a lexicographer as "a harmless drudge". Have
> any other lexicographers or linguists made similarly self-deprecating
> statements about their profession? (I tried some web searches but came up
> empty-handed; ChatGPT provided some real zingers from the likes of Ferdinand
> de Saussure, Noam Chomsky, and David Crystal, alas all hallucinated.)

Part of the difficulty with this is that Chomsky and e.g. Boas have and had egos the size of North America. I do think one needs a robust self-confidence to be good in the field, above and beyond what those around you would support,
something which will not make people quick to self-deprecation.

Lunasa is August? is it related to Lunes, Lunar, Looney?



----- Can an anagram amuse senile lexicographers?



interesting linguists in movies:
Henry Higgins
and the one played by Jimmy Stewart

the one played by Amy Adams

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Ar an fichiú lá de mí Lúnasa, scríobh HenHanna:

On 8/19/2024 12:41 AM, Aidan Kehoe wrote:

Ar an t-ochtú lá déag de mí Lúnasa, scríobh Tristan Miller:

> Samuel Johnson famously defined a lexicographer as "a harmless
> drudge". Have any other lexicographers or linguists made similarly
> self-deprecating statements about their profession? (I tried some web
> searches but came up empty-handed; ChatGPT provided some real zingers
> from the likes of Ferdinand de Saussure, Noam Chomsky, and David
> Crystal, alas all hallucinated.)

Part of the difficulty with this is that Chomsky and e.g. Boas have and had egos the size of North America. I do think one needs a robust self-confidence to be good in the field, above and beyond what those around you would support, something which will not make people quick to self-deprecation.

Lunasa is August? is it related to Lunes, Lunar, Looney?

Yes. No.

----- Can an anagram amuse senile lexicographers?

interesting linguists in movies:
Henry Higgins
and the one played by Jimmy Stewart

the one played by Amy Adams

--
‘As I sat looking up at the Guinness ad, I could never figure out /
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout’
(C. Moore)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)