Comments on: Is a famous ‘ancient Chinese curse’ really an invention from 1950? An investigation using Google Book Search http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/04/04/is-a-famous-ancient-chinese-curse-really-an-invention-from-1950-an-investigation-using-google-book-search/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:49:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: LibrarySupportStaff.Org » “Interesting times” http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/04/04/is-a-famous-ancient-chinese-curse-really-an-invention-from-1950-an-investigation-using-google-book-search/comment-page-1/#comment-729336 LibrarySupportStaff.Org » “Interesting times” Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:02:59 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6360#comment-729336 [...] The story is on the blog TeleRead. [...] [...] The story is on the blog TeleRead. [...]

]]> By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/04/04/is-a-famous-ancient-chinese-curse-really-an-invention-from-1950-an-investigation-using-google-book-search/comment-page-1/#comment-724177 Garson O'Toole Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:24:03 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6360#comment-724177 An article entitled “Google Book Search: A powerful tool for investigating phrase origins” that updates and expands the information in the note above can be found <a HREF="http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/12/18/google-book-search-a-powerful-tool-for-investigating-phrase-origins/" rel="nofollow">here</A>. The update provides evidence that the phrase ”May you live in interesting times” was in use as early as 1936. An article entitled “Google Book Search: A powerful tool for investigating phrase origins” that updates and expands the information in the note above can be found here. The update provides evidence that the phrase ”May you live in interesting times” was in use as early as 1936.

]]> By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/04/04/is-a-famous-ancient-chinese-curse-really-an-invention-from-1950-an-investigation-using-google-book-search/comment-page-1/#comment-331669 Garson O'Toole Fri, 20 Apr 2007 21:27:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6360#comment-331669 Thanks to Fred Shapiro for the wonderful information about the phrase “May you live in interesting times”. Shapiro is apparently the editor of “The Yale Book of Quotations” (YBQ) and it is great that he took the time to provide a valuable pointer. The YBQ contains a 1939 citation that predates the 1944 citation given in the article above. This experience does provide evidence that “the YBQ is going to have better information about quotation origins than you will find anywhere else.” The earliest citation I could locate anywhere on the web was 1950. For example, this <a HREF="http://www.noblenet.org/reference/inter.htm" rel="nofollow">library based web page resource</A> traces the quotation back to 1950 as does Wikipedia. I apologize to readers for not looking in the YBQ. I do not own it, and it is not in my local library, but I should have made a greater effort to check it. Yet, I do think that the article above still illustrates the power of Google Book Search, especially when one notes that it is a search engine that is open to all users online without fees. Precious resources such as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), JSTOR, and the Yale Book of Quotations do not appear to be easily accessible online. The OED has <a HREF="http://www.oed.com/subscribe/individuals-amer.html" rel="nofollow">an annual subscription fee of $295</A> in North and South America. <a HREF="http://www.jstor.org/" rel="nofollow">JSTOR</A> requires affiliation with a participating institution, and I was unable to find a way to access YBQ online. Perhaps someday resources like these will be smoothly accessible online even for the hoi polloi. Thanks to Fred Shapiro for the wonderful information about the phrase “May you live in interesting times”. Shapiro is apparently the editor of “The Yale Book of Quotations” (YBQ) and it is great that he took the time to provide a valuable pointer. The YBQ contains a 1939 citation that predates the 1944 citation given in the article above. This experience does provide evidence that “the YBQ is going to have better information about quotation origins than you will find anywhere else.”

The earliest citation I could locate anywhere on the web was 1950. For example, this library based web page resource traces the quotation back to 1950 as does Wikipedia. I apologize to readers for not looking in the YBQ. I do not own it, and it is not in my local library, but I should have made a greater effort to check it. Yet, I do think that the article above still illustrates the power of Google Book Search, especially when one notes that it is a search engine that is open to all users online without fees.

Precious resources such as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), JSTOR, and the Yale Book of Quotations do not appear to be easily accessible online. The OED has an annual subscription fee of $295 in North and South America. JSTOR requires affiliation with a participating institution, and I was unable to find a way to access YBQ online. Perhaps someday resources like these will be smoothly accessible online even for the hoi polloi.

]]> By: Fred Shapiro http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/04/04/is-a-famous-ancient-chinese-curse-really-an-invention-from-1950-an-investigation-using-google-book-search/comment-page-1/#comment-325856 Fred Shapiro Wed, 18 Apr 2007 01:25:11 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6360#comment-325856 You mention The Yale Book of Quotations and its sophisticated research, but you don't actually consult the YBQ. If you did, you would find it has a 1939 citation for "May you live in interesting times." In general, the YBQ is going to have better information about quotation origins than you will find anywhere else. You mention The Yale Book of Quotations and its sophisticated research, but you don’t actually consult the YBQ. If you did, you would find it has a 1939 citation for “May you live in interesting times.” In general, the YBQ is going to have better information about quotation origins than you will find anywhere else.

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