E.O.Wilson, Etymologist

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 6/30/07, Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at ohio.edu> wrote:
>
> At 09:53 AM 6/30/2007, sagehen wrote:
> >
> >Scott Simon, no stranger to the mis-chosen, misused word, did it again:
> >identified his guest, biologist E.O.Wilson, as an "etymologist" on Weekend
> >Edition this morning (6/30).
>
> Actually, it wasn't E.O., though I don't remember his first name.  He was
> an entomologist, talking about flies and pollination and such--hence the
> "etymologist" gaffe.  Simon also used "whomever" as a subject, a typical
> affectation for him.

'Twas E.O. (who is indeed an entomologist). Interview here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11626223


--Ben Zimmer

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org