Career
Stamper worked in a college development office before applying for an editorial assistant position with Merriam-Webster in 1998.[1] She left Merriam-Webster after working there for nearly 20 years.[2] She was associate editor at Merriam-Webster for more than ten years.[3] As of 2019, Stamper worked freelance with Cambridge University Press.[4]
In addition to her editorial duties, she presented many of Merriam-Webster's "Ask the Editor" videos,[5] a series on the publisher's website and YouTube that discusses the English language, especially unusual or controversial words and usages. She undertook speaking engagements on behalf of Merriam-Webster[6][7] and provides expert advice and response to general enquiries on language and lexicography from the public.[8] Stamper drew attention as the associate editor responsible for explaining the addition of the term "F-bomb" into the dictionary.[1]
Stamper also provides lexicographical and language-related commentary for various media outlets including the Chicago Tribune[9][10][11][12][13][14] and has written on other, non-language-related topics.[15]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Presentation by Stamper on Word by Word, March 22, 2018, C-SPAN |
Stamper's first book, Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, was released by Pantheon in March 2017.[16][17][18]
Stamper appears in all six episodes of the 2021 Netflix series History of Swear Words,[19] providing commentary on the linguistic histories of various obscenities. The Hollywood Reporter described Stamper as "probably the breakout among the expert talking heads".[20]
