One last question: Are dictionary editors necessarily eccentric?
A. Well, in one fundamental way they are a breed apart. Good dictionary editors are born, not made. They all have some mysterious innate skill that enables them to examine language objectively and report their observations and conclusions in concise form. Thats the definition you read. That skill can be honed in the course of a long apprenticeship, but it cannot be manufactured outright. As for genuine eccentricity, some have it, and their colleagues put up with it, but its not intrinsic to the process or job. You shouldnt find eccentricity apparent in a good dictionary.
