Got the two volume Shorter Oxford English Dictionary for £10 at a book fair in Milton Keynes about four years ago (t’were printed in Bletchley, so maybe it had been hanging around the office a while). Can’t say as I’d want the full unabridged set.

My favorite instance of using this book (as distinct from an electronic version) is only a couple weeks old. I discovered gubernator while looking for something else. I had previously thought this word was invented for Arnold Schwarzenegger. But no, it’s a bona fide word that’s considerably older than Arnie’s tenure:

[a. L. gubernator, agent-n. f. gubernare, gubernat-, to GOVERN.]

A ruler, governor.

There it was, on paper almost as old as Arnie hisself. And here are some dated citations showing just how long it’s been in use:

1522 J. CLERK in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. III. I. 304 Who is in Spayne, and chief gubernator there vnder the Emperor. 1623 COCKERAM, Gubernatour, hee which gouerneth. 1678 GALE Crt. Gentiles III. 5 The wise Creator and Gubernator of althings. 1886 W. J. TUCKER Life E. Europe 281 Whenever our freedom was called into question, or our rights trespassed upon..by our Woiwodes or Gubernators to whom was intrusted the administration of the principality.