Ben Zimmer is a linguist, lexicographer, and all-around word nut.
He is the language columnist for The Wall Street Journal,
a contributing writer for The Atlantic,
and co-host of the Slate podcast Spectacular Vernacular.
The Wall Street Journal
Hooligan: From Figure of Fun to Menacing Fan (July 15, 2021)
Violent troublemakers got their name from a 19th-century Irish stereotype.
Fireworks: From Pyrotechnics to Passion (July 3, 2021)
Americans light up the sky to celebrate independence from Britain. But colorful combustibles, like their name, hail from the old world.
‘Amateur’: For the Love, and Fair Payment, of Sport (June 24, 2021)
A term that can mean ‘enthusiastic admirer’ or ‘dilettante’ has determined the status of athletes for a century. The Supreme Court has ruled it too vague.
How the ‘Juneteenth’ Name—and Holiday—Spread (June 17, 2021)
Celebrations of the June 19, 1865, announcement of emancipation in Texas, marking the end of slavery in the South, went by many names before one became known across the country.
‘Cabin Fever’: Getting Sick From Being Cooped Up Too Long (June 11, 2021)
Originally used to describe isolated lives in the American West, the feeling became universal during the pandemic.
Read more language commentary in The Wall St. Journal here.