Right Click for Thesaurus?

Question

Level 1

3 points

Right Click for Thesaurus?

Is there a quick way to highlight a word and move into thesaurus? Instead of the several steps it seems to take? I'm working with Pages '09 and have a Microsoft 7000 keyboard. Thanks.

Imac

Posted on Jul 17, 2009 1:14 PM

Reply

Answer 1

ark-1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jul 17, 2009 1:34 PM in response to Peggy

Thanks Peggy - but that's what I did. I was hoping to find a quicker way. I've recently switched from a PC and on Word there's an option to assign a shortcut to a key and click into thesaurus from there. Any way to do that with Pages?

Reply

Answer 2

Jul 17, 2009 2:38 PM in response to ark-1

ark-1

See my reply to your other post.

It is possible to make a keyboard shortcut in System Preferences for the Dictionary/Thesaurus in Pages using the menu location Peggy showed you.

However this is a System issue not specific to Pages as it is the System that accesses the Dictionary/Thesaurus. It would be better that this could be handled universally, but usually access is via the contextual menu and I am not sure how you nominate that.

You may be able to get an answer in the OSX forums.

Peter

Reply

Answer 3

Jul 17, 2009 5:34 PM in response to ark-1

I don't know if this works with a Microsoft keyboard but, with an Apple keyboard, you can go directly to the Dictionary by placing the cursor in any word then pressing the Control - Command and D keys simultaneously. When that dictionary window is showing, you will see the word Dictionary at the bottom with a down arrow next to it. Click the down arrow and select the Thesaurus.
By the way, if you keep the Control and Command buttons depressed, you can move your cursor from word to word and call up the Dictionary for whatever word you hover over.

Reply

Answer 4

ark-1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jul 19, 2009 12:11 AM in response to Lucky13

Hi Lucky and everyone else,
Thanks for all the info, but I'm still stuck because I haven't figured out how to (or even if I have to) reassign my Microsoft keyboard to resemble an apple keyboard. Don't I have to do that first before succeeding with assigning keys? If so - HOW???

Reply

Answer 5

Jul 19, 2009 12:41 AM in response to ark-1

As I said before when you plugged the keyboard in it should have come up with a window identifying it as a non Apple keyboard and asking you to type first the key next to the left shift key and then the key next to the right shift key. OSx then would have worked it out, but I think your windows key and possible the command key would still behave differently.

I strongly suggest you get a new flat Apple keyboard which are absolutely the best keyboards I have ever used.

Peter

btw You are not by any chance working on a Hackintosh?

Reply

Answer 6

ark-1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jul 19, 2009 1:53 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

What's a Hackintosh???? I bought a iMac 20" 2.66 a few months ago after dreaming about it for ages.

I bought the Apple keyboard - the wireless one! And I hated it. Really hated it. I'm a fast typist and I found it horrible. I splurged on the Microsoft ergonomic keyboard and its changed everything. Its not pretty and cute like the Apple but its SOOOO much better. My hands fit comfortably on it and are not squished into a tiny space.

Reply

Answer 7

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

Jul 19, 2009 3:07 AM in response to ark-1

A Hackintosh is a PC machine on which, using a hack, some users install MacOS X.

It's not allowed by the product license but as I am not an Apple Lawyer it's not my problem 😉

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE dimanche 19 juillet 2009 12:07:33)

Reply

Answer 8

Lucky13

Level 2

215 points

Jul 19, 2009 4:00 AM in response to ark-1

Have you installed the IntelliType keyboard driver from Microsoft? Here in the States at least, it's freely available for download.

I have no experience with this software nor the Microsoft keyboard but you may want to look into it.

Reply

Answer 9

Jul 19, 2009 1:37 PM in response to ark-1

The short wireless Apple keyboard I hate, but the full size wired one is, as I said, the best keyboard I have ever had on any computer. And that includes the wiresless Ms Intellimouse and keyboard set that now sits unused in my cupboard.

The Apple mouse on the other hand is a bit of a dog.

Peter

Reply

Answer 10

Peggy

Level 8

41,847 points

Jul 17, 2009 1:24 PM in response to ark-1

Double-click to select word, right-click & then choose Writing Tools > Look Up in Dictionary and Thesaurus.

Reply

Answer 11

ark-1 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jul 18, 2009 2:05 AM in response to Thomas Wright1

Thanks Thomas - it doesn't work but that could be because I haven't set up the keys properly - my keyboard is Microsoft but Mac friendly. I will try it.

Reply

Answer 12

Lucky13

Level 2

215 points

Jul 18, 2009 5:48 AM in response to Peggy

Double-click to select word

It shouldn't be required to first select the word.

Reply

Answer 13

Peggy

Level 8

41,847 points

Jul 18, 2009 10:20 AM in response to Lucky13

It shouldn't be required to first select the word.

Why not? How else is Pages/OS X going to know what word to check?

Reply

Answer 14

Jul 18, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Peggy

Peggy, if you use the Command-Control-d combination, it isn't necessary to select the word -- you only have to place the cursor somewhere within the word.

Reply

Answer 15

Lucky13

Level 2

215 points

Jul 18, 2009 2:13 PM in response to Thomas Wright1

It works even when using the mouse. Simply hover the cursor over the word and then control-click (right-click) to call up the contextual menu.

Reply