This is National Dictionary Day.

You probably think this special day was begun by publishers to sell more dictionaries. Perhaps, but it also honors Noah Webster. He was born on this day in 1758 and is famous for writing Webster’s Dictionary.

After graduating from college, Noah Webster taught school but became very dissatisfied with the American school system. Often as many as 70 children of all ages would be jammed into one room, with poorly-written books, no desks, and untrained teachers. How’d you like to try learning there? In 1783, he wrote his own textbook: A Grammatical Institute of the English Language. A few years later, at age 43, Noah started writing the first American dictionary. He thought Americans should spell, pronounce, and use words the same way. A dictionary helps do just that because it explains the correct meaning, spelling, and pronunciation of each word.

It’s important for words to have exact meanings; otherwise everyone would get confused. We know that the word groceries, for example, refers to food and related items, not plumbing supplies. And when we order a glass of milk at a restaurant, we would be shocked if the server were to bring a hammer. Saying what we mean and meaning what we say is important for good communication.

In our verse for today James points out the importance of being known as people who clearly state what they mean. You don’t have to be a walking dictionary, but you should mean what you say.

Don’t you just hate it when someone told you yes and then later said, “I really didn’t mean that—I meant ‘maybe’”? Yes should mean “positively, for sure, certainly.”

Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned (James 5:12, New International Version).

To Do

For the next week or so, choose a word each day from the dictionary (such as transient, ubiquitous, evocative, or profound). Learn its meaning and spelling, and then use it in a sentence when talking with your parents or another adult. They’ll be amazed!

Also on this day

This is National Boss Day.

1829—The first modern hotel in America opened. The Tremont Hotel had 170 rooms that rented for $2 a day and came with four meals.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.