28 February 1939: Discovery of the thriller phrase “dord”
In 1934, the second version of the Webster’s Worldwide Dictionary was printed. It was a hit for the G&C Merriam Firm (now Merriam-Webster firm), however little did they know on the time there was a thriller phrase included.
It took till at the present time in 1939 for an editor on the firm to note the phrase “Dord” on web page 771. Outlined as an “Abbreviation for density” in physics and chemistry, the phrase puzzled the editor for one easy purpose: it wasn’t an actual phrase.
Regardless of its look in a dependable reference e-book, nobody on the firm might discover any state of affairs the place “dord” appeared as an actual phrase with the dictionary's given definition. “Dord” didn’t exist.
An investigation was launched to search out out the origins of this peculiar phrase. Had somebody snuck in an faulty phrase for a joke? Was it truly an actual phrase and so they simply wanted to search out an instance?
Because the Merriam-Webster web site notes: “The very fact is that each one the phrases in Merriam-Webster's dictionaries are established members of the language, backed by substantial proof of these phrases in printed, edited textual content.”
“However, um, there was for a time a phrase in one in every of our dictionaries that violated this precept. Only one,” they add.
Not solely was there an faulty phrase within the 1934 version of the dictionary, however G&C Merriam Firm would proceed to print that error of their dictionaries till 1947 when it was lastly eliminated.
Finally, the thriller was solved. It turned out that chemistry editor Austin Patterson had despatched in a slip so as to add an entry when making the 1934 version. On the slip, Patterson supposed to level out that the letter “D” or “d” might typically be used as an abbreviation for “density”.
The large mistake got here although as a result of Patterson’s typing was misunderstood. As an alternative of studying “D” or “d”, whoever obtained the be aware thought he’d written “Dord”.
As a result of “dord” spent so lengthy within the dictionary, it has change into a success story amongst lexicographers. The time period for an incorrect phrase printed by a reference e-book is a “ghost phrase” and typically they'll change into fashionable phrases in their very own proper. “Dord” is the one ghost phrase in Merriem-Webster’s historical past.
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