Interview on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” about the language of 9/11 and how the term “ground zero” has evolved. (Sep. 6, 2011)
In the days following September 11, 2001, “ground zero” quickly became the term to describe where the Twin Towers once stood. The phrase actually dates back to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Language expert Ben Zimmer explains the evolving use of “ground zero” and other ways 9/11 has influenced language in the U.S.
(Show page, streaming audio, download, related Boston Globe column, Word Routes column)