How did Samuel Johnson approach writing his dictionary?
My approach, Sir, was one of meticulous, and I confess, arduous labour. I read extensively, gathering instances of word usage, and then I laboured to define each term with clarity and accuracy, often drawing upon etymology where it shed light. It was not merely a compilation of words, but an attempt to capture the sense and spirit of our language as it had evolved. The undertaking was immense, a true trial of endurance, but necessary to establish a standard for a tongue that had, until then, been allowed to wander without a firm guide. No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money, yet this work was more than mere profit; it was a service to letters.
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