My First Dictionary Half A Century

Do you still keep your first dictionary? I still have mine! Let me show you a small part of my dictionary collection…

My first dictionary was actually given to me by my godsister when I was in primary school, probably upper primary in the early 70s. So coincidentally, this dictionary is also called the My First Dictionary;

You see the two stickers on the front cover, and that was what I did to it. I don’t really remember whether these were those type of ‘water tatoos’ stickers – you put them on a pail of water and then place the ‘tatoos’ on your arms or legs or any other surface to apply the stickers. Here you see another one on the page inside;

So this First Dictionary was reprinted in Sep 1958, exactly 51 years ago – half a century! I like this dictionary because of the exercises and questions at the end of the dictionary;

In the past most of us really ‘read’ and ’study’ the dictionary (use our dictionary throughoutly)  as you can see some of the words were underlined;

Now  my children’s dictionaries are as clean as those in the book stores.

I bought my first personal pocket dictionary when I was in Sec.4 in 1978. It was a Collins pocket dictionary and see – I’ve a Kentucky Fried Chicken sticker on the front cover. You don’t find this KFC sticky anymore now.

This dictionary has been with me for almost 35 yeasrs and now my daughter (Pri.4) is using it;

So between these 2 Oxford dictionaries, which do you think is ‘older’?

Do you think you get the answers right? OK, the white jacket one was reprinted in 1952;

While the dark blue cover one was reprinted in 1949 (60 years old);

I got it wrong too and I thought the one with the white cover was older… These 2 were handed down to me by my father. He probably used these when he was working in his twenties.

Come to think of it, I have more Oxfords at home! So do you still have your first dictionary with you?