Escritas

Poems List

When two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather.

in The Idler no. 11 (24 June 1758)

2

Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.

A Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

3

Network. Anything reticulated or decussated at equal distances, with interstices between the intersections.

A Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

2

Lexicographer. A writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge.

A Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

1

Every quotation contributes something to the stability or enlargement of the language.

on citations of usage in a dictionary

3

Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better.

A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) preface; see Hooker 173:1

2

I am not yet so lost in lexicography as to forget that words are the daughters of earth, and that things are the sons of heaven. Language is only the instrument of science, and words are but the signs of ideas: I wish, however, that the instrument might be less apt to decay, and that signs might be permanent, like the things which they denote.

A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) preface; see Madden 224:16

2

Officious, innocent, sincere, Of every friendless name the friend.

From B OSWELL , Life of Johnson, January 20, 1782 (on the death of Robert Levett)

2

Boswell: That, sir, was great fortitude of mind. Johnson: No, sir; stark insensibility.

From J AMES B OSWELL , Life of Johnson 9 [1791], November 5, 1728

2

As with my hat 7 upon my head I walk’d along the Strand, I there did meet another man With his hat in his hand. 8

Anecdotes of Johnson by G EORGE S TEEVENS [1736–1800]

2

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Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784) was an English writer who became one of the most celebrated intellectuals of his time. Born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, he struggled with ill health and financial difficulties for much of his life. His most influential work, 'A Dictionary of the English Language' (1755), was a landmark in English lexicography, defining the vocabulary and spelling of the language. Johnson also produced insightful essays, sermons, poems, and biographies, including 'Lives of the Poets'. He was a central figure in London's literary circles, known for his sharp wit, brilliant conversation, and strong opinions. His life and work were immortalized in James Boswell's 'Life of Samuel Johnson', one of the most important biographies in English literature.