My latest crossword for @slate.com, with bonus ethical quandaries! slate.com/life/2026/07...

At the recent National Puzzlers' League convention in Bloomington, IN, @e-briannica.bsky.social and I served as "lexicographers in residence," spending a lovely afternoon taking NPL members around the exhibition of the Madeleine Kripke Dictionary Collection at IU's Lilly Library.

My wordy pursuits collide in today's @slate.com crossword! slate.com/life/2026/06...

It's another guest appearance from the Barnacle (aka me) on the crossword podcast @fillmeinpodcast.bsky.social. bemoresmarter.libsyn.com/fill-me-in-5...

I have today's crossword on @slate.com, and it's educational! slate.com/life/2026/05...

The @scrippsbee.bsky.social finals are tonight on @iontelevision.bsky.social at 8pm ET! You might catch me at the judges table, or in a prerecorded bit where I talk about how spelling a difficult word can be like solving an etymological puzzle. #spellingbee Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/scrip...

It's Bee Week! Getting ready for the big event in our sparkly new venue. @scrippsbee.bsky.social

New crossword for @slate.com, with a timely movie tie-in! slate.com/life/2026/05...

FTA: @benzimmer.bsky.social on one of the nerdiest two-remove euphemisms you'll ever see stronglang.wordpress.com/2016/03/21/w...

New crossword for @slate.com! Hope you find it better than meh. slate.com/life/2026/05...

"Eighty-six" or "86" in a 1920 article from Topeka, KS. I see this is also OED's earliest. This knocks out NYC's Chumley's & Empire State Building theories. A new thread. cc @davidwondrich.bsky.social 1/ www.newspapers.com/article/the-...

Remember when they 86'd S. H. Sanders? (Article by @benzimmer.bsky.social) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Comey's "8647" is in the news. Here is "86" in soda jerker slang, from Pittsburgh, in 1929, our new earliest cite for the expression. A thread. @davidwondrich.bsky.social @jessesword.com 1/ www.newspapers.com/article/pitt...

Time to revisit this.

Today's Saturday Stumper, Newsday's ultra-challenging crossword, is from me! brainsonly.com/global/netwo...

My talk for Crossword Con on "Adventures in Gridspotting" is now on YouTube! Thanks to @puzzmo.com for archiving it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkjb...

It was a delightful weekend at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, in its last year in Stamford, CT. The finals featured an exciting win by Erik Agard @e-a-rly.bsky.social over Will Nediger @bewilderingly.bsky.social and David Plotkin. Congrats to all! #acpt www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHEX...

...and one of the more integrated appearances in The Simpsons, with custom reveal and creator cameos.

The Wilhelm Scream of Grids

GRIDSPOTTING TAXONOMY: -Real grids, real sources -Real grids into props (think: "greeking") -Grids from stock images (there is a Wilhelm scream of stock image crosswords) -Grids created for productions (from DIY efforts to guest constructors)

Next up is @benzimmer.bsky.social, cruciverbally nerd-sniping us. Specifically: gridspotting! It's all the "oh hey look, crosswords in media" rage in Crosscord, the crossword fandom Discord.

I'll be speaking at 11:15 am ET on "Adventures in Gridspotting." Tune in for the Crossword Con livestream!

Crossword Con is happening now! 🤩 Join us on Twitch: www.twitch.tv/puzzmo

featuring! talks from @aaronson.bsky.social, @benzimmer.bsky.social, @orta.io, @samanbb.bsky.social, and @xws.bsky.social panelists represent games desks at @bostonglobe.com, @vulture.com, @yahoonews.com, and puzzmo

For this year's Crossword Con on Fri. Apr. 10, I'll be giving a talk on "Adventures in Gridspotting" at 11:15 am ET. Come join us in person (or watch the livestream)! www.crosswordcon.com

Today is the last day to buy in-person Crossword Con tickets! Join us in NYC for some great talks and a panel featuring representatives from companies that buy and license indie games made by people like you! 🌷 Link to tix, schedule, speaker & panelist info all here: www.crosswordcon.com

Seasonally appropriate @slate.com puzzle from me today! slate.com/life/2026/03...

March links: A new book about colors from @korystamper.bsky.social The origins of "Markwayne" from @davidmackau.bsky.social & @babynames.bsky.social The source of that alien lingo in "Bugonia" (thanks, @benzimmer.bsky.social!) And lots more! fritinancy.substack.com/p/march-link...

I've got the Saturday Stumper (super-tough @newsday.bsky.social crossword)! brainsonly.com/global/netwo...

Brendan Emmett Quigley and I have this weekend's @wsj.com crossword! www.wsj.com/articles/fut...

Solve my latest @slate.com crossword and get crazy with the cheese whiz slate.com/life/2026/03...

Geek out over my latest crossword for @slate.com! slate.com/life/2026/02...

Bzz, bzz, bzz... I have today's buzzy puzzle for @puzzmo.com!

FTA: @benzimmer.bsky.social is going to verb the taboo term out of this one stronglang.wordpress.com/2016/02/11/i...

This week, it's the highlight of any FMI Season, because Ben Zimmer joins Ryan and Brian to discuss the 2025 Word of the Year! There's still plenty of the same slop there's always been, but skip to the 31-minute mark if you're here for The Barnacle. #woty #crossword #podcast bemoresmarter.com/fmi

Today's @slate.com crossword has an Oscars theme! slate.com/life/2026/01...

I've got today's Saturday Stumper in Newsday! brainsonly.com/global/netwo...

Yesterday was jam-packed with exciting moments! From -slop being named the ADS Word of the Year, to the insightful Five-Minute Linguist session, to vibrant networking in the poster session & exhibit hall—there truly was something for everyone. We can’t wait to see what today has in store! #LSA2026

The 2025 Word of the Year is "slop," both as a noun for low-quality AI-generated content and as a combining form for anything of little value. Read the full press release. #WOTY2025 #ADS2026 #LSA2026 americandialect.org/2025-word-of...

Now posted: The full list of nominees for ADS Word of the Year 2025. The final vote will be held this evening at 6:45 pm CST at the New Orleans Marriott. #WOTY2025 #ADS2026 #LSA2026 americandialect.org/nominations-...

On @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social,’ linguist @benzimmer.bsky.social breaks down the words that encapsulate 2025 from ‘parasocial’ to ‘rage bait.’ Listen here: harkaudio.com/year-words-2...

The Internet Archive has a playable version of the NY Times Crossword Puzzle app from 1992. It ran on Windows 3.1 and included a few hundred puzzles. (Click on Game/Open to select a puzzle.) [archive.org]

WATCH: youtu.be/BX9FCGR-CaY?... READ: grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/104... LISTEN: pod.link/173429229

If you're traveling this weekend, download this interview with @benzimmer.bsky.social! He has DELIGHTFUL stories about: — The origin of "hella" — Run DMC and "drop" — 1960s slang from cots in military barracks — Stephen Colbert & "truthiness" I promise you'll love it! 🎧 tinyurl.com/2d6qutrw

A fun little Christmas bonus... @grammargirl.bsky.social has shared the subscriber-only podcast segment we recorded in October, in which I tell some stories about tracking down the history of words like "hella," "drop," "truthiness," and "toast." www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX9F...

ICYMI, @benzimmer.bsky.social on words of the year: www.wnyc.org/story/2025s-...

I'll be on @wnyc.org @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social at around 11:40 am ET talking about Word of the Year selections. www.wnyc.org/story/latest...

I'm quoted in here about Word of the Year selections. www.cbc.ca/radio/67-wor...

I was on @fox5ny.bsky.social this evening talking about Word of the Year choices for 2025. www.fox5ny.com/video/1752579 Make sure to submit your own nominations for the @americandialect.org Word of the Year! americandialect.org/submit-2025-...

New crossword for @slate.com! Couldn't pass up the Simpsons ref. slate.com/life/2025/12...