@bgzimmer

Linguist, lexicographer, all-around word nut. https://xitter.cf/t.co/5XvZrNE69X https://xitter.cf/t.co/ZrG23nK6KD https://xitter.cf/t.co/zc7W5tjCY7

 Jersey City, NJ
benzimmer.com/
Joined June 2008
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Well, folks, it's the end of an era. After 11 years of getting the green light from my fantastic editors at @WSJ, here's the last Word on the Street column, on "green light" appropriately enough. wsj.com/arts-culture/history… Subscribe to my newsletter for more! buttondown.com/benzimmer
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The American Dialect Society is once again soliciting nominations for the Words of the Year! Please submit your 2024 WOTY nominations using this Google Form: bit.ly/WOTY2024noms More details here: americandialect.org/2024-wot…

2024 Word of the Year Nomination Survey

Since 1990, the American Dialect Society has selected Words of the Year to highlight language change and to bring a few aspects of linguistic study to the public's attention. The lighthearted vote is...

docs.google.com
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Getting a little meta with today's @Slate midi crossword slate.com/life/2024/10/cross…
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Many thanks to @bgzimmer for a wonderfully wordy talk last night! Follow us to find out about future events on the topic of Keywords.
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Time for a new midi crossword on @Slate! slate.com/life/2024/10/cross…
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Come join us at Penn tomorrow -- or join the livestream! Info on the livestream is available when you register for virtual admission.
Wolf Humanities Center@WolfHumanities25 Sep 2024
Language expert and “word nut” Ben Zimmer (Wall Street Journal) takes us on a historical trail of words–how has their usage changed over time? What methods can we use to track a word’s meaning? Join us Oct 9, 5:30pm, ARCH 108. Livestream available. wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/eve…
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"GOBSMACKED!: The British Invasion of American English" by @byagoda is out! This excerpt for @lithub has some foul-mouthed selections, including "shitgibbon" (with credit duly given to @quantick). lithub.com/bell-ends-pillock…
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I've got the Sunday @Slate puzzle, featuring a hot (or rather cold) take on the lobster roll debate slate.com/life/2024/09/cross…
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I've got the @Slate midi crossword today! A clue for all you "Clue" fans slate.com/life/2024/09/cross…
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Language expert and “word nut” Ben Zimmer (Wall Street Journal) takes us on a historical trail of words–how has their usage changed over time? What methods can we use to track a word’s meaning? Join us Oct 9, 5:30pm, ARCH 108. Livestream available. wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/eve…
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I guest-hosted on @FillMeInPodcast this week, filling in for @ryanhecht. In his absence, @cimmet and I talk baseball, multiverses, Taco Bell, hapax legomena, and even crosswords. bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/fil…

Fill Me In: Fill Me In #460: The Zimmerzine Teaser

Ryan is away this week so once again, Brian is joined by The Great and Powerful Barnacle, Ben Zimmer! Topics include baseball nightmares, rhyming word etymology, #rip Googlewhacks, and a brand new...

bemoresmarter.libsyn.com
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There's a fascinating crossword-related tidbit in @samrob12's @NYTimes obituary for Edward B. Johnson, the CIA officer involved in the "Argo" rescue mission that got US consular officials out of Iran in Jan. 1980. (1/8) nytimes.com/2024/09/11/us/ed…

Edward Johnson, C.I.A. Hero in Iran Hostage Crisis, Dies at 81 (Gift Article)

He was a secret partner who helped rescue six American diplomats in 1980 by passing them off as a film crew. The caper inspired the movie “Argo.”

nytimes.com
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Even if Johnson didn't remember the exact clue/answer combo, it's amazing that he was able to recall this detail so many years later! Clearly it was a wild enough coincidence to be very memorable. (Thanks to @XWORDS for tipping me off to @samrob12's obit.) (8/8)
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@threadreaderapp unroll
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New @Slate midi crossword! Someday I may stop using headlines from @TheOnion for clues, but today is not that day slate.com/life/2024/09/cross…
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