Ep 195: The men who wrote the Dictionary - Professor James Murray & Dr. W. C. Minor

EPISODE · Apr 30, 2025 · 36 MIN

Ep 195: The men who wrote the Dictionary - Professor James Murray & Dr. W. C. Minor

from Doomed to Fail · host Farz Sokhansanj, Taylor Pineiro

Today Taylor tells the story of "The Professor and the Madman" - how the Oxford English Dictionary was created in the late 1800s. Professor James Murray took up the almost impossible task of cataloging the entire English Language, and asked for the public's help. One volunteer sent in over 10k definitions (which all include quotes and several references) - his return address was the Insane Asylum at Broadmore. Was he a Dr. or a patient??  SourcesThe professsor and the madman - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-professor-and-the-madman_simon-winchester/248697/item/5257676/?  Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes for life! patreon.com/DoomedtoFailPodWe would love to hear from you! Please follow along! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doomedtofailpod/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doomedtofailpod  Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@doomedtofailpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doomed.to.fail.pod Email: [email protected] 

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Ep 195: The men who wrote the Dictionary - Professor James Murray & Dr. W. C. Minor

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