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Meaning
Johnson compares dictionaries to watches: even an imperfect one can still be useful, but perfection should not be expected. The point is that reference works can help even when they are not fully exact.
When It Was Said
Not documented yet.
Who It Was Said To
Not documented yet.
Historical Context
Not documented yet.
Source
Vol. II, p. 406
Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
Did They Really Say It?
Listed with a cited source on Wikiquote: Vol. II, p. 406.
Did You Know?
Cited on Wikiquote as coming from Vol. II, p. 406.
About Samuel Johnson
English writer and polymath
Samuel Johnson, often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer and polymath. He is best known for his Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755, a work of 42,733 entries that shaped the study and use of English. Beyond the dictionary, Johnson wrote as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermon writer, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. His reputation rests on the breadth of that work and on his lasting influence on the English language.
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