Your Online Reference Desk

The web has become increasingly powerful. The knowledge it can give and share, especially for those little tidbits I call quickies. The word you can’t remember how to spell. The bet you have with your friend over simple trivia. The little notes you jot down during the day with the promise to look into later.

All these things can be researched, referenced and verified on the web. You just need to know where to look. Here are a few examples to get the brain juices flowing.

I personally am a learning nut. Lately, I have made a point of keeping Post-Its (case in point: gratuitous link to the history of the creation of post-it notes here) in my purse to jot down things I find interesting that I want to learn more about later (case in point 2: dictionary definition of “gratuitous” here).

These are quickies. The things that you probably would never be able to find out without a long trek to the library or bookstore. And of course you would have to learn how to use the Dewey Decimal System before you could even find what you were looking for (interjection number 3: learn how the Dewey Decimal System works here).

Do you see where I’m going with this? It wasn’t a mindless tangent. In two paragraphs, I covered interesting things that you can learn quickly in the course of your day to make you better, wiser, and more knowledgeable person, not to mention a killer trivia whiz at your next party. Your thirst for knowledge is there, now it’s just a matter of learning where to go to find the answers to your quickies!

Mirriam Webster Dictionary is a great place to start for quick dictionary definitions. Right there on the home page is a box just waiting for you to input a word, you’ll have your answer in seconds. If you want to know who invented something, Idea Finder History Index is a great place to go to learn who invented those products you loved as a child, such as Pez and the Yo-Yo.

Do you have a running bet over mistaken song lyrics? Verify your correctness at the International Lyrics Server. Curious about the origins of seemingly senseless cliché phrases you use every day? You’ll love this.

We’ve explored several ways to find out the answers to those mysterious things you’ve always wanted to know. May your Post-Its be chock full of things to learn, and may you always have a thirst for knowledge!