The Newest Euphemisms
John McWhorter writes for Aeon about the evolution of euphemisms, one of the functions in a language that evolves quicker than any other.
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John McWhorter
5 posts
Does Anyone Speak English Here?
At Aeon, John McWhorter explores the twists and turns through English’s linguistic history that brought us the “deeply peculiar” language structure used today.
R.I.P. Formal Writing
Let’s consider that we are seeing a natural movement towards a society in which language is more oral—or in the case of texting, oral-style—where written prose occupies a much smaller…
Like, Considering the Other Side
Critics might believe that “like” has infiltrated and degraded American English, but John McWhorter argues just the contrary. McWhorter claims that “like” is not a marker of the downfall of…
On “Proper” English and Objective Legislation
It’s no secret that English is a constantly shifting, malleable, many-headed beast of a language, yet, much of the time, writers and speakers insist emphatically on obeying its many ostensibly…