Thursday, April 17, 2008

Booking Through Thursday

Suggested by Nithin:

I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?

Yes to all of the above, with qualifications. First I try to figure out the word or phrase from context, then I'll jot things down to look up later. I am without a dictionary for the first time in over thirty years, so I am forced to rely on the Internet dictionaries. Sometimes I use a search engine if I find a word or phrase that's too new for a dictionary (but I never use Google). I sometimes ask an au courant friend for a definition because I am far out of touch with current slang. If all else fails I continue reading, but I don't forget about the word. It just sits in a corner of my mind waiting for an answer, the way a puzzle does.

1 comment:

Becca said...

i'm smiling at the image of some mysterious word sitting in the corner of your mind, patiently waiting to be understood :)