History of English Words for Hacks

Following links and hints in others' works led to the Online Etymology Dictionary. This is not the place to go for definitions of words, but for their history, to find the earliest uses. For example, did you know that "hack writer is first recorded 1826, though hackney writer is at least 50 years earlier"? It's an overflowing treasure box for language lovers like me. This dictionary was compiled by Douglas Harper, using an impressive set of reference materials. The site has a limited search engine and an alphabetical index to get you to the area of the word you're interested in. There's also an impressive list of links to websites about various languages and etymology, some experts and diversions.