William Safire

William Safire (born December 17, 1929, New York, New York, U.S.—died September 27, 2009, Rockville, Maryland) was an American journalist known for his fiercely opinionated conservative columns (1973–2005) for The New York Times as well as his witty and meticulous columns (1979–2009) in The New York Times Magazine that traced the origins and meanings of popular phrases. Safire attended Syracuse University but left after his sophomore year. He worked as a newspaper reporter and at...