Dictionary:Ā A book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language (typically in alphabetical order) and gives their meaning.
Inspired by a long (and sunny!) weekend in the home of Oxford University, here is a day in Oxford city as told through Oxford Dictionary definitions…
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Muggle:Ā A person who is not conversant with a particular activity or skill. Can often be found touristing around Harry Potter filming locations in Oxford.
1990s: from mug + -le; used in the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling to mean āa person without magical powersā.
āshe’s a muggle: no IT background, understanding, or aptitude at allā
Ashmolean Museum:Ā A museum of art and antiquities in Oxford. It opened in 1683 and was the first public institution of its kind in England.
‘no, despite the empty tables you may not have a drink in the Ashmolean Museum Restaurant because of some vague excuse about an event or maybe allude to how it’s members only, but probably we’re just a bit snobby.’
Ninety-nine (also 99): A cone of ice cream with a stick of flaky chocolate in it; a staple of British cuisine and a symbol of British summertime. Allegedly costing 99p. Allegedly…
‘can I have a 99 with a flake and strawberry sauce, please?’ ‘that will beĀ Ā£2.50.’
Bridge of Sighs:Ā A 16th-century enclosed bridge in Venice between the Doges’ Palace and the state prison, originally crossed by prisoners on their way to torture or execution.
Also an alternative name for Hertford Bridge, a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane in Oxford, England. Because it looks a bit like the one in Venice. Supposedly.
‘hey, do you want to take a trip over the bridge of sighs?’ ‘no, thanks. I can’t afford the flight.’
Photobomb:Ā Spoil (a photograph) by unexpectedly appearing in the camera’s field of view as the picture is taken.
‘hey man, that’s a great jacket you’re wearing… is it a photobomber?’
Serendipitous:Ā Occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
‘what kind of dinosaur is it?’ ‘I think it’s a serendipitous.’
Oxfordian:Ā Relating to or denoting the theory that Edward de Vere (1550ā1604), Earl of Oxford, wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare.
‘surely only an Oxfordian could have written Shakespeare’s plays?’ ‘spoken like a true Oxfordian.’
Punt: 1. [noun]Ā A long, narrow flat-bottomed boat, square at both ends and propelled with a long pole, used on inland waters chiefly for recreation.
2. [verb]Ā Travel or convey in a punt.
3. [silly] A word that sounds a little bit like a slightly ruder word.
‘you’re a massive punt.’
Castles in the Air:Ā Visionary unattainable schemes; daydreams.
‘I wanted to look around the castle, but at 10 quid for a museum ticket, I was building castles in the air.’
Pub:Ā An establishment for the sale of beer and other drinks, and sometimes also food, to be consumed on the premises. Origin:Ā Mid 19th century: abbreviation of public house.
ālet’s go to the pubā, āa country pubā, ‘GERROUUTTAA MY PUB!’
DĆ©jĆ Vu:Ā A feeling of having already experienced the present situation.
‘DĆ©jĆ Vu?’ ‘Angkor Wat?’
Peramble:Ā A walk, a ramble; a short excursion with no particular route or aim.
‘my favourite dessert is peramble crupple.’
Oxford: 1.Ā A city in central England, on the River Thames, the county town of Oxfordshire; population 146,100 (est. 2009). Oxford University is located there.
2.Ā A thick cotton fabric chiefly used to make shirts.
3.Ā A type of lace-up shoe with a low heel.
4. A lovely place to visit on a bright, spring day.
Omg I love this post! Such a creative and clever way to talk about your trip! And it was humorous, too! I’m sure this was ridiculously fun to write.
Hi Holly, thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it and found it funny too (it’s not just me, haha)! Yeah, it was pretty fun to write too. Thanks for reading.
Haha! Great plays with words there. You captured the city well in your pictures too. Nice to see Cocos is still serving up wonderful food too, it was one of my favourite restaurants while I was at university.
Hey, Julianna. Thank you so much. Glad you liked it. Oooh, I didn’t eat at Cocos, but will have to pay a visit seeing as it was one of your favourites. Thanks for the recommendation!
Interesting post! Thanks for all the information using Oxford dictionary. š
Haha! Thank you for reading, Joy! Glad you liked it.
This post is one a kind! Loved the humor š
– from a “Muggle” yearning to visit Oxford š
Hi Asmita. Thanks so much! Yeah, it’s a little tongue in cheek (just a bit)! Hope you get a chance to visit Oxford – the city is so beautiful!
High on English literature, vocabulary and photos. Lovely.
Hi Ketki, thank you so much! Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.
this was so fun to read! I am an English Major and this was such a fun post! Thanks for sharing!!!
Haha! Thanks, Brenna, glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, I’m an English grad too so this city really appealed to my literary side!
What a unique post! I had no idea what a 99 was, and now I’ve gotta have it!
Oh man, never had a 99? Definitely do it!
Haha I LOVE this post. Laughed all the way through this dictionary tour š
Haha! Thank you, Farwa! Maybe there should be a dictionary tour?!
What a brilliant idea! This was so entertaining to scroll through, it was funny and had great photos. Really good photos!!
Hey Steve, thank you so much! Glad you liked it and found it funny. Thank you for reading!
Awesome! you could write an entire blog in this style, so unique & funny! I’ve visited Oxford a bunch of times but now I’m looking at it in a whole new light. Thanks for posting
Hey, Kristi. Thanks for reading – glad you liked it. Oxford is so beautiful, right?
I love this! I’s such a clever article. The way you tied the dictionary definitions to the city is wonderful.
Hey Kris, thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it. Thank you for reading!
What a unique blog post. Very creative. I’ve never seen one written this way. Hopefully you weren’t carrying a copy of the dictionary with you.
Hey Layrssa, thank you very much! Sadly, I wasn’t carrying a dictionary, I just relied on the Oxford Dictionary website when writing this post, but maybe I should have! Thanks for reading.
Haha this is the most original post I’ve read in a long time Thanks so much! I’d really love to visit Oxford my next time around, looks like a lovely place!
Oh wow, thanks Jacky! That’s such a lovely compliment to receive. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you get the chance to visit the city!
Fun article to read…filled with new vocabulary as well. Very creative and interesting!! Sounds like a great time in Oxford!
Haha! Thanks, Rosemary. I was aiming for entertaining… yet educational! Thanks for reading.
What an amazing read! Talk about a place to now put on my bucket list.
Hey Taylor, thanks! And thanks for reading. You should definitely visit Oxford – it’s beautiful.
This is such a cool post! I love how you used the words to tell about Oxford.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.
What an awesome trip! I love how you documented it. Wonderful photos!
It was! I love Oxford. Glad you enjoyed reading this post.
I love this post. It’s so clever. I’m saving and sharing it. I wish my brain were more on point right now so I could respond with dictionary definitions. I have always been interested in Oxford because of His Dark Materials, haha.
Thank you! And thanks so much for sharing! Haha, perhaps you should! And yes – Oxford has such an interesting literary history. It’s probably one of the reasons I love it so much.
Okay so now my time in the UK is making more sense… š hahah!
I ended up taking Oxford off my list for this trip and now I’m wondering if that was a mistake!
You had me at muggle! Also had no idea “pub” was coming from “public house”.. my whole life was a lie!
This is such a cute idea for a post! I loved seeing all the pictures of Oxford, and I learned some good new words from the definitions too. XDD For a second you had me thinking that Muggle was a word before Harry Potter.
What a cool post! Never saw one like this, as a graduate in literature, I really enjoyed it (and learnt a few words!!). Also: can’t wait to go to Oxford!
How fascinating, Amy! Really enjoyed reading this post…I feel like it’s a refreshing departure from the usual guide-style blogs š
HAhah this is awesome! I love how you tied the oxford discionary concept with the town of oxford! So clever!, and such a unique take!
You are brilliant! This is one of the most interesting posts about travel I’ve ever read. Amazing photos too. Too bad about the biker photobombing your picture, it does help with perspective at least.
Haha, I LOVE this! I love how creative you were writing this. As a die hard Harry Potter fan, I’d definitely be one of those Muggles, touristing around the filming locations! Haha. Great post! š
Such a fun way to present the post! Oxford looks like such a beautiful place to explore. I have to say that “Serendipitous” is my favorite word in this list.
Omg I love this! Completely nerding out on the format. So creative!
Interesting post. To be honest I got a little confused at first (just at muggle, coz i didn’t realize that it was also the place, as depicted in the photo) but then when the post got rolling, kaboom it was awesome. Creative, to say the least. Thanks for sharing š
Such a fun read! I was in Oxford a few months ago. I love that you mentioned Harry Potter cuz that’s mostly why I went lol BUT the highlight for me was when we were at Radcliffe Camera and some girl was like “wow I can’t believe they named all this after Daniel Radcliffe”. I laughed forever hahah.
Love the history of the place, and looks like there is lots of things to do around there! I would love to try one of those 99’s š
SUCH a fun and innovative way to “do” Oxford, love it, not often you see something new, so cool!
Really enjoyed this post – such an original idea to describe Oxford through the OED š
Love your dictionary approach to writing about Oxford! I would definitely love to visit the city – I had no idea it has its own version of the Bridge of Sighs!
This was such a fun read, I loved reading your Oxford dictionary definitions! I visited Oxford a few years ago, but your post has me wishing I could visit again.
This post is so adorable and unique and charming! Props to you for the most innovative blog post ever. Also, your definition of punting made me laugh out loud. Love this!!
I love this post so much and was LMAO! And what a unique idea!!