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"There are too many of them to include in Chambers"!
Hope you are not making excuses for them leaving out 500 words, Jazzgirl!
I think, if it is possible, that dialect words should be in a dictionary.

rusty, I hope I'm not in trouble here :( No, I agree the the 500-word omission was unacceptable. However, there are literally thousands of obscure dialect words from just Wiltshire alone. I just wonder where Chambers would draw the line if all dialect words from every county were to be included ?
I notice that a lot of archaic words have now been withdrawn from Chambers since their early 20th century edition to make room for new ones.

Course you are not in trouble! My wee joke!
I was being sardonic!
Yes, it would be a well nigh impossible task including all dialect.
Words are omitted (deliberately!) with each edition to make way for new ones.
When you think of all the US and Aussie slang words that have to be included as well as all the new hi-tech and Internet words. A hopeless task.
I like to see the old words, though.
I read somewhere yesterday that originally, possibly in the first Chambers Dictionary, that it was called "Chambers's" Dictionary.
The brothers surname being Chambers.
That was soon dropped though!

I think I have been guilty of writing Chamber's.
That is obvious wrong.
Should be Chambers!

Yes my grandmother's dictionary is printed as "Chambers's " I am looking at it now.
PS If firk and leer are to be recommended as being included, then I feel that "dungputt" and "yakker" should be in there too!

I think they should!
Unfortunately, we are gradually going to lose the old words.
I shall have to investigate dungputt and yakker.
Yakker sounds Aussie?
There is a young girl on a checkout at my ASDA.
She works part time as she is in third year at Uni.
Many, many, times she has used the phrase "no worries" to me!
Still waiting on her saying "she'll be apples!"
I should add I am not in the slightest criticising her.
She is a very nice young girl. But I do have a wee chuckle!

Dungputt and yakker are Dorset dialect used by my forefathers, one of which was William Barnes the poet. "yakkers" are acorns. If I explain the other, it might put you off your food. The "Sword of a dungputt" was an upright bar with holes for a pin by which the "putt" was set to any pitch for shooting D***.! (a farming term) I think I had better leave to go and get the RT.

I've just googled the Sword and there it is!
Out off in the rain.....

I know this doesn't answer the OP, but I can highly recommend the Chambers phone app. It's got all the paper version has, is kept up to date, is easier to use, has a Word Wizard, can be used on more than one device and, at a £4.99, is a fraction of the cost. I sung its praises on an earlier, similar thread but mine was a lone voice.

Peterm, yours may have been a lone voice, but I remembered it when I got a new phone at New Year.
I have it downloaded. It's good!
So, can I use it on my tablet (Hudl 2) without incurring extra expense?