Do you still carry a dictionary with you?

[chigreyofthenorns]

Up until highschool, I used to carry a dictionary with me all the time. Aside from it being a requirement, it was really handy to have one with me always. However, I don't carry one anymore. I find pocket dictionaroes bulky and outdated sometimes. I just have an offline dictionary on my tablet and laptop in case I need to find out the meaning or spelling of a certain word.

[wayzteacher]

No, I don't carry a dictionary with me anymore and I can't remember the last time I opened a paper dictionary.

Don't get me wrong.  I still use a dictionary all the time, but with the popularity of the internet and dictionary apps in most electronic gadgets, I no longer feel the need to carry around a print dictionary.

In fact, I think I use the dictionary more these days.  Every time I see a word I don't know or I'm not sure of its meaning, I immediately look it up online.  If I'm reading on an e-reader, it takes less than a second to press the word to get a dictionary meaning.

So, no more print dictionaries for me, but I'm still using dictionaries as much as, or even more, than I used to when I was using print dictionaries.

[beccagreen]

Well that's a very old school thing to say. I use my phone for almost everything now so it includes checking for spellings and grammar and meanings and all that stuff so I don't carry around a dictionary.

[Kektheman]

I never had a dictionary for English. I never felt the need to carry one around, to be honest. But when I studied Italian, my teacher made us carry dictionaries. It did help a bit, but I didn't benefit a whole lot from having one, honestly. Nowadays, I wouldn't even consider buying one. There are apps for that that are much quicker and easier to use.

[Rosa]

Except for when I was in high school, I never carry a dictionary around. However, I still don't have a smart phone and I don't always have my laptop on so having a dictionary close by is always helpful. I keep a pocket dictionary in my bedroom at all times.

[AExAVF]

I can't remember the last time I ever carried a dictionary.  There are quite a number of dictionaries that I browsed through, from a pocket dictionary to an unabridged one.  Some dictionaries carried a thesaurus within its pages.  There was one dictionary which I once browsed that did not carry proper nouns.  Whenever I had difficulty finding the meaning of a certain word, I consult the dictionary, but only after I had guessed the meaning of the said word. 

[Baburra]

I don't carry one with me anymore since I left school because I only ever did so due to the requirement they had for students. Also, nowadays, it's much easier to just rely on our online resources that we can acquire using our digital devices. You don't even need a specific program anymore since you could just search any specific question you have online, though, I guess an app would be much more practical since you could use it offline as well.

[sidney]

No I also don't carry a dictionary anymore, in fact, outside of school, I never did. If I'm outside and I need to find the meaning of a certain word, I just use my phone to look for the answers, since I'm subscribed to a mobile browsing plan anyway.

[Muthoni]

I do not carry a dictionary; I use Microsoft word to type my work. If there is a word I do not understand, I check the synonym by right clicking when the cursor is on the word. I can also look up the word at the comfort of the same page through the same process. Life has become so convenient with the advancement of technology.

[elaineeramos]

No, I do not carry a pocket dictionary around. It is bulky and inefficient.

I do have a dictionary application on my phone. It is not bulky. Also, I can just type the word that I am searching for.

[maryannballeras]

I no longer carry a dictionary with me, maybe because I was not used to carrying one anymore after college.  But if there's a need for me to make use of it, I can just download an application on my phone and that will serve the same purpose. 

[takibari]

Much like the others in the thread, I don't carry a paper dictionary anymore. It was also in high school that I carried one because it's a requirement. These days, with apps and the Internet, there's really no need to carry a paper dictionary (unless of course, you're the traditional type who loves the smell of paper). These days, Collins dictionary icon is on my desktop.

[czarina84]

I am a native English speaker.  I still carry a dictionary around with me.  You never know what could happen with electronics.  You could get into an area where you don't have the proper internet support to look up something or maybe your screen gets broken.  I always like to have hard copies of everything that I can. 

[宇崎ちゃん]

No, I believe we live in the digital age and therefore I always rely on online dictionaries.
But it could be just because I'm just a big tech guru.

Each time I just start off with a language, I rely on an online dictionary all the time.
But as I become more and more proficient in the language, I try to stay away any form of dictionaries except in cases I'm really clueless.
I'm as well a practical learner, so paperwork barely works for me unless I already can speak and listen.

[anna3101]

I mostly use online dictionaries but when there's no Internet, I have offline apps on my phone to help me out.

I'm glad that I no longer have to use paper dictionaries because they were horribly heavy, took up a lot of space and often the very thought of taking this big monster off the shelf and then looking for the word, page by page, was just too much for me.

Online and offline dictionaries are stuff of my dreams. They make looking for words a quick and easy process. Now even with my laziness there's never an excuse not to look up whatever I don't know immediately.

[宇崎ちゃん]

I mostly use online dictionaries but when there's no Internet, I have offline apps on my phone to help me out.

Which is why I'm glad to live in the Netherlands: internet is nearly everywhere!
I have a 6 GB data subscription + unlimited calls/text, so I never worry surpassing any limits.

But I understand your case, each time I visit Poland I always buy a SIM card from the provider with the biggest data plan: Orange.
But the big down side of Orange is that it only works well in Warsaw, so as soon as I leave Warsaw to see my family NEAR IT, I immediately lose my access to the internet (along with the fact I can no longer make any phone calls or write any texts).

[Litnax]

This is the digital age. My phone has an English dictionary -> I carry my phone almost everywhere I go -> so technically yes, I still carry a dictionary around with me, just not a printed one.

It's been years since I last used a printed dictionary... time sure flies.

[pesic87]

My dictionaries are all very big and very hard to carry around, but I still use paper dictionaries while I work at home.

For everyday usage I usually use some mobile phone applications - dictionaries of some kind, or else I have some e-dictionaries on my laptop that I can use too.

Even though the technology is moving forward and everything seems to be going towards electronic versions, making the paper versions seem very retro, old and not appreciated any longer, I still love the smell of paper, the way it makes me feel, and the pleasure it gives me from flipping through pages.

[Amelie]

Guys, remember those tiny dictionaries that were only slightly bigger than key chains? In fact, I think they actually functioned as key chains as well, and they came with magnifying lenses (because how else will you be able to read the definitions?). They were sooo cute (but essentially useless), and my best friends and I were obsessed with them. But yeah, they weren't ideal tools.

Like most of you, I couldn't remember the last time I used a paper dictionary, even though there are several lying around the house. The internet is just so much more convenient. I especially love websites that provide audio pronunciation guides, because the written ones are just too darn confusing.

 

[VinayaSpeaks]

I don't carry a print dictionary, actually, I have never carried a dictionary. Even when smartphones did not exist, I did not carry dictionary. I have apps on my handheld devices that help me with language such as translator apps and dictionary apps.

[reverserewind]

I don't carry anything but my copybook/notebook with me. There is simply no point in that, as we have a lot of really useful electronic stuff that can give you everything about the word you're looking for in like a blink of an eye. The latter actually depends on your Internet connection. So, I hope you got me right.