Without specifying the technical realm, it's difficult to make useful recommendations.
That said, I might suggest use an Oxford dictionary instead of or in addition to a Webster's. The Oxford dictionary focusses on representative uses of words which includes technical uses. That said, he might also appreciate a CRC Handbook? Thanks, -- Raul On Fri, Oct 19, 2018 at 1:39 PM Ian Clark <[email protected]> wrote: > > For Dr XXY, English is a second language. One of many. His first language > has never been studied, let alone learnt, by an outsider: it is spoken by > hardly anyone outside his village, but they've all saved up to send him to > Harvard. > > Dr XXY is on the point of reconciling Quantum Theory with General > Relativity. > His English is now good enough to read a road-sign and to buy food without > pointing – and to use the internet. > Especially to read the pearls of technical wisdom that fall from my pen. > Not for pleasure, I might add: he wants to know more about J. > > I want to be helpful, so I adopt a chatty tone. Yesterday I wrote: "Do what > you like but it doesn't do to do it all the time." > It took Dr XXY an evening of intense investigation on ويكيبيديا to discover > what I was actually saying. He did so on the off-chance it might turn out > to be crucial. > A lifetime of deep study has taught him the importance of attending to > detail. > > Now Dr XXY is no dunce. > I am. (I used not to be, but as I get older it's getting worse.) > Dr XXY is not smart: he is super-smart. He holds the destiny of the world > in his fingertips. I don't. > He is not grateful to me for wasting his time. It mortifies me to know that > I do. > I'd have done better to write: > "You are free to adopt your own strategy, but it's not good to employ this > idiom in every situation." > He'd have sussed that out in less than minute, using nothing but his > well-thumbed Websters. Because the words I used, although they were big > ones, were unambiguous. > > When I write technical stuff, Dr XXY is very much in my mind. > Can anyone recommend a widely-used standard of technical English that would > gladden his heart to read? > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
