'The Secret Life of Dictionaries'

The Leonard Lopate Show | Apr 4, 2017

Kory Stamper, a Merriam-Webster lexicographer, joins us to discuss her book, Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries. The book explores what it takes to make a dictionary in a world where language is constantly evolving. Stamper details the people, events and stories that have shaped the English language, and goes inside the halls of Merriam-Webster. 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

One Refugee’s Journey Through ICE Detention

In 2025, ICE began detaining people at immigration hearings, an unprecedented step. The staff writer Jonathan Blitzer shares the story of one detainee whose life was turned upside down.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

How an Empire of Craft Stores Pushed an Agenda of Christian Nationalism

All Of It with Alison Stewart |

Flood Watch issued for NYC as rain and storms move in after picture-perfect weekend

Spotty rain showers and a potential thunderstorm are expected to begin Monday afternoon before several days of rain and storms.
Gothamist |

Exploring an Olympics Bid for New York

NYS Assemblymember Robert Carroll talks about his vision for a joint upstate/downstate bid for the Winter Olympics.
The Brian Lehrer Show |
YOU ARE ONLINE