Finding the true history of words, with Ben Zimmer

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

1129. This week, we talk with Ben Zimmer about the linguistic detective work of antedating words — finding earlier usages than those published in dictionaries. We look at the surprising origins of "Ms.," "scallywag," and the baseball history of "jazz."

Find Ben on his website: Benzimmer.com

Vietnam Graffiti Project at Texas Tech's Vietnam Center: https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/graffiti/

The interface for searching the text on the canvas bunk bottoms: https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/#graffitiSearch

Ben's post that includes the Daily Orange article where Helen Herman’s claims she coined "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." March 10, 1931: https://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/tracking-down-the-roots-of-a-super-word/

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