Drawing on more than 20 years of research, as well as weaving together history, psychology, science and amusing anecdotes, a noted linguist presents this entertaining exploration into speech habits we love to hate, discussing the dynamic, ongoing and empowering evolution of language.
"A linguistic exploration of the speech habits we love to hate-and why our "um"s, "like"s, and "you know"s actually make us better communicators. Do you hate that you say "like" too much? Do you go over your email drafts to remove excess "so"s and "really"s? Do you wish your presentation at work wasn't so full of "um"s and "uh"s? Do you get tripped up by slang, overly familiar greetings, or new pronouns? What if these features of our speech weren't a sign of cultural and linguistic degeneration or newfangled trends that won't stick around, but rather, some of the most dynamic and revolutionary tools in our arsenal? In Like, Literally, Dude, linguist Valerie Fridland argues that our most hated or confusing speech habits shape our conception of the world and our place in it in remarkable ways. With a mix of laugh-out-loud anecdotes and expertise built over two decades of research, Fridland helps us understand the history, cultural significance, and impact of how we speak today. We are all the products of centuries of linguistic progress, and the innovation hasn't stopped in our lifetimes. Writing in an accessible style and focusing on real-life examples, Fridland explains how filled pauses benefit both speakers and listeners when they're discussing new or tough topics; how the use of "dude" can help people bond across social divides; why we're always trying to make our intensifiers ever more intense; as well as many other language tics, habits, and developments. Language change is natural, built into the language system itself, and we wouldn't be who we are without it. This book will speak to anyone who talks, empowering them to communicate dynamically and effectively in their daily lives"--
"With easygoing authority... [ Fridland] offers context, and a welcoming spirit, to the many contentious realignments in our language."The Wall Street Journal
Smart and funnyI loved it!" Mignon Fogarty, author of New York Times bestseller Grammar Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
A lively linguistic exploration of the speech habits we love to hateand why our likes and literallys actually make us better communicators
Paranoid about the ums and uhs that pepper your presentations? Concerned that people notice your vocal fry? Bewildered by hella or the meteoric rise of so? What if these features of our speech werent a sign of cultural and linguistic degeneration, but rather, some of the most dynamic and revolutionary tools at our disposal?
In Like, Literally, Dude, linguist Valerie Fridland shows how we can re-imagine these forms as exciting new linguistic frontiers rather than our cultures impending demise. With delightful irreverence and expertise built over two decades of research, Fridland weaves together history, psychology, science, and laugh-out-loud anecdotes to explain why we speak the way we do today, and how that impacts what our kids may be saying tomorrow. She teaches us that language is both function and fashion, and that though we often blame the young, the female, and the uneducated for its downfall, we should actually thank them for their linguistic ingenuity.
By exploring the dark corners every English teacher has taught us to avoid, Like, Literally, Dude redeems our most pilloried linguistic quirks, arguing that they are fundamental to our social, professional, and romantic successperhaps even more so than our clothing or our resumes. It explains how filled pauses benefit both speakers and listeners; how the use of dude can help people bond across social divides; why were always trying to make our intensifiers ever more intense; as well as many other language tics, habits, and developments.
Language change is natural, built into the language system itself, and we wouldnt be who we are without it. Like, Literally, Dude celebrates the dynamic, ongoing, and empowering evolution of language, and it will speak to anyone who talks, or listens, inspiring them to communicate dynamically and effectively in their daily lives.
