The Allusionist 7. Mountweazel
Mar 25, 2015
Ellie Williams, a researcher doing a doctorate on fake words in reference works, explores fictitious dictionary entries known as mountweazels. She recounts famous hoaxes, explains why lexicographers plant copyright traps, and traces how bogus entries spread and sometimes become accepted. The conversation highlights playful and human sides of reference-making.
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Dictionaries Use Fake Entries As Copyright Traps
- Dictionaries sometimes include deliberate false entries as copyright traps to detect plagiarism.
- These fictitious entries are planted so another publisher copying content will reveal themselves by reproducing the fake item.
The Story Of Lillian Virginia Mount Weasel
- The New Columbia Encyclopedia included a fictional person, Lillian Virginia Mount Weasel, complete with life story and publications.
- The entry was playful but convincing enough to illustrate how hoax entries can appear in reference works.
The Web Makes Copying Visible
- Online dictionaries make it easier to track whether fictitious entries have been copied across sources.
- Once a fake entry spreads online, it's simple to see which works have replicated it without noticing it's false.
