Interview on “The Walt Bodine Show” (KCUR Kansas City) about “The Birth and Life Cycle of Words” (Mar. 25, 2010)
How does a new word get born? How would you know that something had gone from being someone’s off-hand expression to becoming a legitimate part of the language? Why do some words take root while others never catch on? And how do words change over time? Today, we are joined by one of our regular wizards of words, as well as Ben Zimmer, who just this week succeeded the legendary William Safire as the writer of the weekly “On Language” column in The New York Times Magazine.