Urban Dictionary is making its comeback in our newsletter

The speed at which language changes and disseminates absolutely fascinates me. And watching older generations try to keep up with slang both fascinates and generally tickles me. In fairness, we'd probably have no idea what our parents were saying if they brought back their slang, like "groovy" or "flapper."

Over Thanksgiving, in lieu of live-tweeting this year's events like usual, I decided to make a Snapchat story of family members attempting to define terms like "shipping," "u-Hauling" and "wig snatching." Outside of my mom pretty much nailing the meaning of clapback, the results were abysmal.

But one UNC professor who's crushed this game is Connie Eble. Connie has been keeping track of students' slang for decades, and she's more or less become a living Urban Dictionary.

— Danny

QUICK HITS

• UNC employee William A. Frey just published a book on stress management, and he has 53 separate tips for dealing and coping. He'll be at Bull's Head Bookshop to talk about them today.
• The Chapel Hill-Durham light rail has some new hope after receiving the OK from its Environmental Impact Statements. Its next obstacle is a low spending cap the General Assembly placed on the project.
• A study published this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says almost a quarter of athletes struggle with depression.
• Following 30 years of gentrification in the area, the Northside Neighbor Initiative is making baby steps toward preserving the community for both historical and new student residents.

IN INSPIRATIONS

Connie Eble, a UNC English professor, is credited with a major contribution to modern language. The phrase is "shit happens," and its first official citation is a 1983 index card sitting in Eble's office. She collects slang from every year of students. Her current fave is "Netflix and chill."

IN TORNAD-WOES

Wednesday's almost-tornado didn't hurt anyone, but it dragged the town of Chapel Hill. The storm knocked down a telephone pole and caused more than 500 outages across the county. Officials say police were prepared to respond in case of collapsed buildings or serious damage.

IN STATE NEWS

Deaths from drug overdoses have doubled in North Carolina over the past 12 years. The western part of the state has some of the highest rates of opioid overdose in the country. Experts say addiction, whether to painkillers or illegal drugs, is surpassing car accidents and firearms in fatalities.

IN THE BLOGS

Who wore it better — Eva Longoria or a European sand lizard? We also have Chrissy Teigen vs. mute swan, Nicole Kidman vs. betta fish and other fun, zoological fashion doppelgangers from this year's Red Carpet.