Unexpected outcomes of linguistic sleuthing

Ben reflects on how word research can lead to surprising human stories, like reuniting owners and artifacts.

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1145. In this bonus segment from October, I talk with Ben Zimmer about "hella" and how even yearbook messages can be digitized to help preserve the language record. Ben shares the full story of this slang term, and we also talk about the detective work that led to the OED using Run DMC's use of "drop" in “Spin Magazine” as a citation.

Ben Zimmer's website: Benzimmer.com

Ben Zimmer's social media: Bluesky. Facebook.

Links to Get One Month Free of the Grammar Girl Patreon (different links for different levels)

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