A History of Short Words

From the New York Times Crossword Puzzle

WEVE

Wed, 10 Dec '25
"___ been had!"
Wed, 25 Jun '25
"___ got some difficult days ahead": Martin Luther King Jr.
Thu, 29 Aug '24
"___ moved!" (sign in an empty shop's window)
Thu, 2 Jun '22
"Houston, ___ had a problem" (message misquoted in "Apollo 13")