With copious historical examples, the book explains that linguistic changes are often decried when new, but over time outrage gets muted, general usage absorbs the evolutions, which then become part of standard English. Fridland issues an open invitation to more deeply understand and celebrate the English language.
A smart and detailed apologia for speech habits that 'violate our sense of linguistic decorum' ... Scholarly yet accessible, and often very witty, this is a winning look at how language evolves.
