A lively linguistic exploration of the speech habits we
love to hate—and why our “like”s and
“literally”s 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
weren’t 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 culture’s
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
success—perhaps 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 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. 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.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy