Ben Zimmer Ben Zimmer is executive producer for Vocabulary.com and the Visual Thesaurus, and language columnist for the Wall Street Journal. Lexicon ValleyFeb. 14 2014 9:47 AMHow Sid Caesar Learned Double-TalkBen ZimmerLexicon ValleyJan. 14 2014 1:33 PMA Reporter Said "Screw the Pooch" on Face the Nation. Where Does That Phrase Come From?Ben ZimmerLexicon ValleyNov. 22 2013 1:39 PMNo, a Drunken Australian Man Did Not Coin the Word SelfieBen ZimmerLexicon ValleyOct. 9 2013 4:38 PMHow Did @#$%&! Come to Represent Profanity?Ben ZimmerLexicon ValleySept. 18 2013 3:11 PMWTF Is Older and More Flexible Than You ThinkBen ZimmerLexicon ValleySept. 4 2013 11:32 AMOf Course Twerk Should Be in the Dictionary Ben ZimmerThe Good WordDec. 29 2008 11:24 AMCzar WarsHow did a term for Russian royalty work its way into American government?Ben ZimmerProcrastinationMay 14 2008 7:01 AMPro·cras·ti·na·tionHow we got a word for "putting things off."Ben ZimmerThe Good WordApril 4 2006 5:48 PMHow Does the Pentagon Say "Body Bag"?Hint: It's not "transfer tube."Ben Zimmer Five-Ring CircusFeb. 9 2014 2:17 PMAn Olympic Snowboarder Said "Huck It," and the BBC Freaked OutBen ZimmerLexicon ValleyDec. 13 2013 10:51 AMNancy Pelosi Told House Democrats to "Embrace the Suck." Where Did That Phrase Come From?Ben ZimmerLexicon ValleyNov. 11 2013 4:01 PMBatman bin Suparman Arrested on Drug Charges. Here's How He Got His Name. Ben ZimmerLexicon ValleySept. 27 2013 12:12 PMDid Stalin Really Coin "American Exceptionalism"?Ben ZimmerLexicon ValleySept. 6 2013 1:45 PMA History of Meh, from Leo Rosten to Auden to The SimpsonsBen ZimmerExplainerJuly 18 2009 9:46 AMWas Cronkite Really the First "Anchorman"?How we came to use the term.Ben ZimmerExplainerSept. 10 2008 5:37 PMWho First Put "Lipstick on a Pig"?The origins of the porcine proverb.Ben ZimmerThe Good WordAug. 16 2006 1:15 PMKeeping Up With the SmonesesAre American newlyweds blending their last names?Ben Zimmer
