No More Canadian Oxford Dictionary

[ltmurnau]

The entire staff of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary (all four of them) have been laid off by Oxford University Press due to declining sales of print dictionaries:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/10/02/canadian-oxford.html

I actually applied to work there, back in 1992 when they advertised for three lexicographers. I got a nice rejection letter, signed by Katherine Barber ("Canada's Word Lady" as the article puts it). I still have it and have used it as a model for rejection letters I have had to write myself over the years.

I think it would have been an interesting job.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I love that you have a model rejection letter. Beautiful and fitting. I'm sure that you let people down gently.

~Robin

[ltmurnau.livejournal.com]

Well, it was better written than most of the rejection letters I was getting at the time.

My first task at the first job I eventually landed was to write rejection letters to all the candidates who didn't get the job. That felt awkward, but someone actually called the office later to say thank you for the nice rejection letter, unaware that she was speaking to the guy who got the job....