his month the Oxford University Press (OUP) is celebrating! It’s the centenary of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (1911 – 2011). The dictionary, edited by Henry Fowler (The King’s English (1906), was revolutionary at the time for describing English as it was actually used and for its coverage of slang and informal English. To mark the celebration the OUP is publishing the 1911 Classic First Edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary priced at £20:
In its first edition, it was the dictionary for speakers and writers in the early 20th century, rival to none. This Classic First Edition authentically replicates the original 1911 publication and includes an introduction with an essay from David Crystal, setting the book in the political and social context of its time.
The first edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary was published in June 1911, the month of George V’s coronation and a few weeks after the launching of the Titanic. A hundred years later the twelfth, centenary edition is being published in August 2011. ♦
