The Professor and the Madman Cover
Podcast Mentions

The Professor and the Madman

Simon Winchester

A memoir about how the Oxford English Dictionary was compiled by James Murray and the invaluable contributions over a 20 year period by Dr William Minor, a person who turned out to be a criminally insane murderer and prisoner at Broadmoor.

Podcasts 2
Quotes 15
Stuff You Should Know

It was mentioned as a movie or book possibly featuring Mel Gibson, that relates to the Oxford English Dictionary's creation with contributions from an asylum patient.

"

What book was that or movie was that, The Man with Two Faces? No, it was The Professor and the Madman, I think.

— Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

It was mentioned as a movie or book possibly featuring Mel Gibson, that relates to the Oxford English Dictionary's creation with contributions from an asylum patient.

"

What book was that or movie was that, The Man with Two Faces? No, it was The Professor and the Madman, I think.

I have never heard of that. Oh, OK. So I've heard the story before that there was a dictionary out there. I thought it was the American English Dictionary, not the Oxford one. Like there was a guy who was in an asylum for decades and contributed like significantly to that dictionary, right? That's the one.

Yeah, I haven't seen it, but I've heard good things. I didn't know Mel Gibson was in it. Yeah, the famous anti-Semite.

Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

It was mentioned as a movie or book about the Oxford English Dictionary and a man who contributed to it from an asylum.

"

What book was that or movie was that, The Man with Two Faces? No, it was The Professor and the Madman, I think.

Like there was a guy who was in an asylum for decades and contributed like significantly to that dictionary, right? That's the one.

Yeah, I haven't seen it, but I've heard good things. I didn't know Mel Gibson was in it.

Episode: You Down With OED?

The Professor and the Madman was discussed as a book and movie based on the story of Dr. William Chester Minor, a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, and his relationship with the editor James Murray.

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If you've seen the movie or read the book, The Professor and the Madman.

The book was by Simon Winchester and the book starred Mel Gibson as Murray and Sean Penn as the quote-unquote Madman, Chester Minor.

Apparently it's not very good and Mel Gibson and the director tried to, you know, they didn't support the movie in the press and they tried to get their, I don't know if it get their name removed but they basically disowned it.

I know and it's such a great story but I heard other people defend it and say, you know, it was pretty good. I had great acting and like he just, you know, got his knickers in a wad.

Well, so apparently from what I saw, James Murray considered just as a decent human being, he needed to go support Dr. Minor, whether Dr. Minor was contributing or not. I think it helped that Dr. Minor was contributing, but they did have some sort of friendship or relationship, but it went beyond just the editor and the contributor kind of thing.

Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

It was mentioned as a movie or book about a person who contributed to the Oxford English Dictionary.

"

What book was that or movie was that, The Man with Two Faces? No, it was The Professor and the Madman, I think.

I have never heard of that.

Oh, OK. So I've heard the story before that there was a dictionary out there.

I haven't seen it, but I've heard good things. I didn't know Mel Gibson was in it.

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