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McKean's 2007 TED talk, "Redefining the
Dictionary", was the genesis for the founding of Wordnik.com. She has also spoken at Pop!Tech, Mark Hurst's third annual Gel conference, and Thinking Digital, and gave a Wordnik demo at the
273:"Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female'.", a quote from McKean's blog, A Dress A Day, has been widely shared on social media. Since the original post features a large picture of
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Verbatim: From the bawdy to the sublime, the best writing on language for word lovers, grammar mavens, and armchair linguists
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184:. She was previously the editor in chief of US Dictionaries for Oxford University Press and Principal Editor of
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D8 conference in 2010. McKean sews her own clothes and often makes "stunt dresses" for speeches, including the
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was a best-seller in
Australia, and has been optioned for film. She writes about dresses in her blog,
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Aftercrimes, Geoslavery, and
Thermogeddon: Plus 157 More Words From a Lexicographer's Notebook
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with a BA/MA in
Linguistics. As an undergraduate, she worked in a junior capacity on the
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164:. She has since served on the Visiting Committee to the University of Chicago's
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751:"STC Spotlight: Erin McKean, Honorary Fellow and the Summit's Keynote Speaker"
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433:"New York Times, "Wordsmiths: They Also Serve Who Only Vote on 'Ain't'""
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McKean is a founder of Reverb, which makes the online dictionary
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218:. from 2008 through 2011 and wrote "The Week in Words" for
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She was previously a member of the advisory board of the
197:, and edited a collection of work from that publication,
277:, the quote has occasionally been misattributed to her.
582:
Wikimedia
Foundation contributors (February 26, 2009).
454:(2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 2051.
168:, and she helped organize a dictionary-themed exhibit,
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from 2011 through mid-2013. She has also written for
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McKean has formulated 'McKean's law', also known as
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In 2010, McKean was named an honorary fellow of the
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534:Chillax – If it works like a word, just use it.
212:She wrote frequently for "The Word" column in
943:Wikimedia Foundation Advisory Board members
449:
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890:
826:"How Erin McKean Sold Her Blog-Based Book"
388:"Libra: Library Reports and Announcements"
85:
963:21st-century American non-fiction writers
880:as member of the Wikimedia Advisory Board
767:"A word to the wise". (August 12, 2008).
56:of all important aspects of the article.
584:"Advisory Board – Wikimedia Foundation"
252:-themed dress she wore to speak at the
201:(Mariner Books, 2001). McKean's novel
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709:"Erin McKean at Thinking Digital 2011"
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240:and is an advisor to Credo Reference.
52:Please consider expanding the lead to
737:"Wardrobe Wrap of the Web 2.0 Summit"
798:"You don't owe prettiness to anyone"
565:"On Language: Redefining Definition"
25:
968:21st-century American women writers
261:Society for Technical Communication
13:
832:. November 7, 2008. Archived from
563:McKean, Erin (December 17, 2009).
452:The New Oxford American Dictionary
187:The New Oxford American Dictionary
14:
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501:Caceda, Eden (February 2, 2015).
311:Totally Weird and Wonderful Words
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374:"University of Chicago Magazine"
195:VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly
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44:may be too short to adequately
19:For the singer/songwriter, see
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478:. May 12, 2011. Archived from
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301:More Weird and Wonderful Words
54:provide an accessible overview
1:
450:Erin McKean, ed. (May 2005).
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193:McKean is also the editor of
938:University of Chicago alumni
319:(Walker & Company, 2007)
7:
773:(Toronto, Canada), pp. A14.
323:The Secret Lives of Dresses
203:The Secret Lives of Dresses
170:The Meaning of Dictionaries
162:Chicago Assyrian Dictionary
140:(born 1971) is an American
97:1971 (age 52–53)
10:
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293:, with an introduction by
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876:January 31, 2018, at the
695:"Erin McKean at GEL 2006"
287:Weird and Wonderful Words
175:
156:. She graduated from the
154:Charlotte, North Carolina
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101:Charlotte, North Carolina
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948:American women linguists
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148:Early life and education
953:American women bloggers
923:American lexicographers
723:"D8 Tech Demo: Wordnik"
221:The Wall Street Journal
784:"Erin @ A Dress A Day"
671:. 2006. Archived from
16:American lexicographer
918:American book editors
836:on September 13, 2009
550:"Wall Street Journal"
515:on September 24, 2015
325:(Grand Central, 2011)
158:University of Chicago
113:University of Chicago
958:Women lexicographers
867:at Wikimedia Commons
814:. December 14, 2002.
635:on February 14, 2012
588:Wikimedia Foundation
439:. December 23, 2006.
405:"The Chicago Maroon"
238:Wikimedia Foundation
933:People from Chicago
739:. October 29, 2009.
362:. January 19, 2007.
341:, Bloomsbury, 2013)
335:The Hundred Dresses
152:McKean was born in
812:"World Wide Words"
800:. August 12, 2013.
770:The Globe and Mail
755:The New York Times
613:has generic name (
569:The New York Times
437:The New York Times
376:. October 1, 2006.
246:All Things Digital
227:The New York Times
190:, second edition.
166:Regenstein Library
913:American bloggers
863:Media related to
629:"Credo Reference"
482:on April 24, 2014
421:. March 12, 2013.
331:(TED Books, 2011)
172:, there in 2007.
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757:. April 9, 2010.
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503:"In Development"
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337:(illustrated by
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303:(illustrated by
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289:(illustrated by
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838:. Retrieved
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537:Boston Globe
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317:That’s Amore
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41:lead section
21:Erin McKeown
908:1971 births
884:Erin McKean
865:Erin McKean
830:MediaBistro
679:October 12,
486:October 12,
476:"If.com.au"
231:On Language
138:Erin McKean
79:Erin McKean
62:August 2022
902:Categories
669:"Pop!Tech"
655:"TED blog"
360:"Normblog"
346:References
128:Occupation
593:March 20,
419:"Xconomy"
291:Roz Chast
256:in 2009.
109:Education
46:summarize
874:Archived
603:cite web
519:June 26,
233:column.
840:May 19,
711:. 2001.
697:. 2006.
639:May 19,
508:Filmink
393:. 2006.
182:Wordnik
458:
250:Tetris
176:Career
103:, U.S.
391:(PDF)
281:Books
842:2009
681:2013
641:2009
615:help
595:2009
521:2015
488:2013
456:ISBN
94:Born
888:TED
886:at
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601:{{
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121:MA
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