a fun anecdote is that Labov didn't correct people on the pronunciation of his last name (/lə'bʌv/ or /lə'boʊv/) because he liked to observe the variation.
man probably kept running averages in his head. you come in, he considers your age, class, subculture and diet and is able to predict how you'll call him
Everybody is posting these elaborate eulogies and Peter Trudgill just says
We owe him everything.
which I imagine must sound pretty trite to the casual onlooker, but if you've read both Labov and Trudgill you kinda feel the weight of this.