Rating: 
Summary: Stop playing around...
Review: ...and get yourself a real dictionary. A practical, affordable alternative to the 20 volume Oxford, it has 98% of the day-to-day utility in 1/10 the bulk and cost. Only after some use will you fully appreciate the superiority of the ultra-concise definitions (not just synonyms!), etymology (including early/original use) and usage tips. If you love the English language and want to use it both correctly and subtly, this is an exceptional aid. Beware, however, of the tendency to lose yourself in its pages!
Rating:
Summary: the second best english dictionary
Review: despite the odd complaints of the 'websters' fetishist who reviewed this book in 1997, this dictionary is second only to the full oed. it suffers in comparison to its sire only from necessary abbreviations due to size.i have not been disappointed with it so far, and suspect that scholars, except perhaps of modern animal husbandry and american vernacular, will not be disapointed either. this is an ideal reference for graduate students, and others who have need of a serious text at a reasonable price. and anyone who claims not to know that 'cilantro' is merely a recent american name for the native european herb 'coriander' (p.511) is not fit, in my humble opinion, to act as a referee for this excellent book!
Rating: 
Summary: An invaluable resource
Review: I am a grad student. I would love to own the large volume... This is a wonderful resource to have when [the price] is more than you can spend. I highly recommend this version.It serves me very well when I am writing research papers. Lynne Perrin
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable resource
Review: I am a grad student. I would love to own the large volume... This is a wonderful resource to have when [the price] is more than you can spend. I highly recommend this version.It serves me very well when I am writing research papers. Lynne Perrin
Rating:
Summary: A Great Investment!
Review: I guess you don't buy a dictionary very often. With this premise, "The New Shorter Oxford" Dictionary really delivers good value. The format, layout, contents and "sheer" size of the dictionary is impressive. Also, because I am currently living in Australia it was important for me that it contained British English definitions or equivalents. If you are looking for a comprehensive yet affordable dictionary (and have the desk space for the two volumes) this is it!
Rating:
Summary: My go-to dictionary
Review: I have 4 dictionaries in my office, but the Shorter OED is my primary reference. As a lawyer, I must employ (some say twist) words to my advantage. I use the other dictionaries only when the OED's definition hurts my position and I want to find a less comprehensive or less precise definition elsewhere. The one down side: once you become accustomed to the Shorter OED, other dictionaries are so frustratingly incomplete that you may have to buy another copy for home.
Rating:
Summary: My go-to dictionary
Review: I have 4 dictionaries in my office, but the Shorter OED is my primary reference. As a lawyer, I must employ (some say twist) words to my advantage. I use the other dictionaries only when the OED's definition hurts my position and I want to find a less comprehensive or less precise definition elsewhere. The one down side: once you become accustomed to the Shorter OED, other dictionaries are so frustratingly incomplete that you may have to buy another copy for home.
Rating:
Summary: All you could ever need
Review: I have used the Shorter OED for nearly six years now, and I have never once been disappointed. It is comprehensive (I can't remember ever not finding something I needed, whether from a literary or a scholarly text, whether from this century or the middle ages). The definitions are clearly written. The supplemental information (derivation, usage, etc.) is easily deciphered. It's also just a joy to use, and, let's be honest, provides you with two very impressive-looking volumes to display on your shelves. I can't imagine ever needing another dictionary.
Rating:
Summary: The best dictionary for all
Review: I'm a mature student of linguistics and English with seven English dictionaries, including two copies of this works earlier edition, a smaller Oxford, a large Webster's and a facsimile edition of Jonson's original dictionary. This dictionary is the one that gets used the most. For many years I swore by the earlier edition and this new one improves it with a newer selection of words and the thumb indexes for each letter making it a little quicker to find the word you need. For a student of lexicography this dictionary is unmistakably an Oxford while moving towards a more modern world. While the pronunciation is the good old southern received from the original OED they have moved to the International Phonetic Alphabet from the one developed for the first OED. The layout and typeface for entries are still the same; easily read and well laid out. They keep the same marvelous information regarding derivation of a word but replace a definitive date for earliest use with a symbol that places it in the first second or final third of a century, probably more honest anyway. Like the earlier Shorter Oxford most entries also have usage examples for the word, many offer a usage for each sense of the headword. While the word choice among the 100,000 or so headwords in these two volumes has some holes they are not large at all and mostly confined to more particular areas that border on jargon or industry specific terms. Like some other reviewers I can bemoan the absence of words in my particular topics of interest but there is no point, almost all people will never notice their absence. For most of the English speaking world this is the dictionary that all high school and university students should own, the perfect answer for most of us who cannot afford or house the definitive Oxford English Dictionary. OK, it may be fairly costly but a dictionary this good is purchased once a lifetime and one this large will not be lost at school or be left at the bus stop. My family has had an earlier edition for thirty years. Argument can perhaps be made that within the US, with its more Elizabethan spelling, a home grown dictionary such as Webster's should perhaps be recommended, since the Shorter Oxford lists US spellings and notes where they are the prevalent US spelling I would disagree. I would recommend this dictionary to everyone who speaks the English language. Every home deserves a copy of this dictionary.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite reference book
Review: If you, like me, don't have the money or the space to add the full OED to your reference collection, this is the next best thing.
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