Today is Thesaurus Day

Now that anyone can easily search online for a word's definition or synonym, I wonder if people appreciate the thesaurus in the same way that we did in pre-Internet times.

 I can say that I'm still a fan. Although I use thesaurus.com when I'm on the go, I keep print copies of Roget's Thesaurus and the Oxford Concise Thesaurus on hand in my home office. 

 Browsing through a thesaurus is rewarding, because you trip across unexpected gems. Not unlike how browsing in a bookstore helps you discover unexpected finds compared to the in-and-out efficiency of ordering a book online. 

 Today, I learned that January 18 marks Thesaurus Day. The date is no accident; Thesaurus Day coincides with the anniversary of Peter Mark Roget's birth in 1779. 

 Mental Floss published Ten Fascinating Facts about the Thesaurus, which includes the word's origin: Greek for treasure. How fitting.

 In the past, I associated January 18 with A.A. Milne's birthday (1882). Now, I have two writing-related reasons to mark the day. 

 Happy Thesaurus Day and Creator-of-Pooh Day.

Reference book spines, including Roget's Thesaurus and the Oxford Concise Thesaurus, on Plum Copy's book shelf


Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

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