Valerie Fridland

Sociolinguist Valerie Fridland explores some of the largest pet peeves many individuals have about English speakers and explores why these features aren't really so bad, and instead the dynamic reality of a living language. Diving into topics like the purpose that "uh" and "um" serve, why the emphatic use of "literally" is not a sign of language death, and the many meanings of "dude." Along the way, she repeatedly emphasizes that women and minorities are often the biggest drivers of linguistic change (and also get the biggest flack for "ruining" the language, surprise surprise). Smart, thought-provoking, and with occasional moments of humour, this is a great read for those interested in how language grows and changes and is willing to think about why certain linguistic tics bug them so much.… (meer)