Of The Oxford Universal Dictionary

On Historical Principles

“I need some strong words, you ruffians of the dictionary!”

Words seethed, boiled and frothed.  Few glanced at the clock as it stroked the hour and soaked finely crusted croissants in dregs of pasty tea. All lifted snouts a startling degree.  

Chief among them, one toed Preposterous, teetered on a pediment. Pages, letters, papers, refuse, detritus, perfume, puffery, attendant mummification, and finally corpses, scattered in mayhem.”This is Preposterous!” he shouted over the roar that roared and roared and would not expire. “What would C. T. Onions, revised and edited by, interject? Having last that should be first; inverted in order. Now rare, 1552,” intoned in loud voice Preposterous, in Onions’ stead