Reading the entire dictionary front to back! This week, we’ve got a little science, a little history, and a whole lotta religion.

To be or not to be? Be is only the most common verb in the English language, so of course the dictionary goes all out in defining it. The first few definitions are things like “to equal,” or “to exist,” by when you get to the end of the list it becomes stuff like “used as an auxiliary with to and an infinitive to express futurity, prearrangement, or obligation.” Sure, why not?

A bear gets a loose definition as “any of a family of large hairy mammals with shaggy hair and small tails.” Does that really apply only to bears? Aren’t there big shaggy dogs that also fit this description?

Beautiful is simply, “characterized by beauty,” but then there’s a separate entry for beautiful people, meaning, “wealthy or famous people whose lifestyle is usually expensive and well-publicized.” If you’re looking for something to cut for next year’s edition of the dictionary, here’s one.

The dictionary is up on all the latest teen slang, because it includes BFF, standing for “best friends forever.” Isn’t that cute?

And then we get to a biggie, the Bible. Somebody at the dictionary office must be a real faithful type, because a lot of space is spent here. It’s “the sacred scripture of Christians,” but it’s also, “the sacred scripture of Judaism,” AND it’s “those of some other religions.” Covering all our spiritual bases, there. We also get some interesting word origin stuff, as “bible” is derived from “biblion,” meaning a book made of papyrus, and also “Byblos,” which is, “an ancient Phoenician city from which papyrus was exported.” This is a lot, but the dictionary still isn’t done. There’s an ENTIRE PAGE devoted to listing all the books of the Bible, putting them all in their proper subcategories. I can only hope Star Trek gets this much attention when we get to S.

Biddable is not something up for auction. No, it’s an adjective for someone “obedient” or “docile.” Here’s a word that can make a comeback, maybe.

A bikini is a “woman’s two-piece brief swimsuit.” I’m sorry, it’s… brief?

Biofeedback gets quite the entry, as “the technique of making unconscious or involuntary bodily processes (as heartbeats or brainwaves) perceptible to the senses (as by use of an oscilloscope) in order to manipulate them by conscious mental command.” Sounds like something out of X-Men.

A bistro is a “small or unpretentious restaurant.” Are we certain of that “unpretentious” part, dictionary?

Blather is “to talk foolishly at length.” This is immediately followed by blatherskite as, “a person who blathers.” Someone at the dictionary must be a huge Ducktales fan to put these right next to each other.

A bluestocking is “a woman having intellectual interests.” This begs for more information, but there is none. Britannica.com once again comes through with additional context, saying that in the mid-18th century, women in held public conversations about literature, and members of the aristocracy would attend to hear the women’s conversations. They were the original podcasters, it seems.

Next: Brooding on the rooftops.  

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