Lindsay Gower of Blue Ribbon Writing has been Marissa’s friend and ally since before I joined the company. She is kind, insightful, and passionate about the English language. It has been a pleasure working beside her on websites and blogs.

Thank you, Lindsay, I hope you enjoy these treasures we gathered for you from around the web.

Save the Words!

“Pick me!”

“Me, me, meeee”

“No, pick me”

These are the cries of disused words in danger of being dropped from the English lexicon. The Oxford English Dictionary has gathered them all into one place so that may make one final plea for circulation. Logophiles (“word lovers” to the rest of us) can get advice on how to spread or adopt the words, and previous owners of the Condensed OED will appreciate the site’s magnifying glass motif.

Bookworm

Bookworm is a fun and addictive word game that tests your vocabulary against the clock. There are rewards for building longer words, but if you let any of your letters sit disused for long enough, you’ll get burned. This game was one of the earlier creations of Popcap, the company that developed the Facebook hit Bejeweled Blitz and the award winning Plants vs. Zombies.

Wordle

As High King Azaz, the Unabridged, (from Norton Juster’s novel The Phantom Tollbooth) would most likely tell you, there is an art to the use of words. Nothing drives that point home more than Wordle, an online program can take any essay, blog, or transcript and turn it into a literal picture of words.

MLA Language Map

It’s easy to forget, but the Modern Language Association does produce more than style guides and topical bibliographies. This interactive map can give you a county-by-county view of language use within the United States.

We hope you enjoy your gifts and wish you many happy returns!