TedTalk Response on Redefining the Dictionary
Name:
1. How long do you think paper dictionaries will be around in the era of tablets and
cellphones?
2. What is the value of a dictionary over say, looking up a definition on Google?
3. What is the “ham butt problem” and how does it relate to the dictionary?
4. Who is responsible for the modern dictionary?
5. What answer does Erin McKean have for those who ask her, “How do I know if a
word is for real?” Why does she feel so strongly about this? Do you agree with her
approach, and do you think her perspective is shared by others (e.g., educators,
developers of word processing software, etc.)?
6. What word do you think should be in the dictionary that currently isn’t?
7. According to Erin McKean, what is paper’s relationship to words?
8. What’s a word you would love to invent? What would it mean? How would it be
pronounced? Who would use the word?