Friday, 27 June 2025 08:37 pm
Book Review: Nine Nasty Words
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deckardcanineIt occurs to me that for all the nonfiction on language I've read, I never put any on my wish list. I certainly wouldn't have asked for one about cussing; indeed, I once gave up on such a gift almost instantly. Nevertheless, I decided to take a chance on John McWhorter's 2021 book, which has two subtitles: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever. (Nice use of the serial comma.)
McWhorter actually talks at length about more than nine words, but he doesn't consider them all "nasty" rather than merely "salty." Since it's not my style, I won't list them here. Just know that he devotes whole chapters to either one word or a set of similar words. He starts with the ones concerning religious matters, moves on to ones based on body parts or bodily functions, and then takes some advantage of his racial identity in tackling today's most offensive terms: demographic slurs. (I wonder what will form the fourth wave of English swears.)
I can think of a few censorable words and phrases that McWhorter never mentions. He must think they're either too tame or too rare. It's clear that his experience differs from mine; I've heard some examples spoken more recently than the last time he did. I'd also quibble about exactly how acceptable certain terms have become. And his concept of a pronoun is broader than a typical linguist's.
Not to say I didn't learn from McWhorter. He delves deep into history, both proven and theoretical. He tries to make sense of bizarre metaphors and grammatical constructions. He quotes plenty of cultural references, popular or obscure. (I predicted some, but apparently, Huck Finn was too obvious.)
And yes, it's pretty funny. Just taking a serious approach to such a casual subject can be tickling. McWhorter enhances it with some choice comparisons, leading me to read more carefully than I usually do. That said, his word order gets strange sometimes, like when he starts a sentence with "Too," meaning "Also."
I won't put more McWhorter on my wish list, but if I receive another book of his, I expect to read it. NNW is close enough to my comfort zone after all.
Now I've snatched George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin from a Little Free Library. I'm sure it includes no profanity whatsoever.
McWhorter actually talks at length about more than nine words, but he doesn't consider them all "nasty" rather than merely "salty." Since it's not my style, I won't list them here. Just know that he devotes whole chapters to either one word or a set of similar words. He starts with the ones concerning religious matters, moves on to ones based on body parts or bodily functions, and then takes some advantage of his racial identity in tackling today's most offensive terms: demographic slurs. (I wonder what will form the fourth wave of English swears.)
I can think of a few censorable words and phrases that McWhorter never mentions. He must think they're either too tame or too rare. It's clear that his experience differs from mine; I've heard some examples spoken more recently than the last time he did. I'd also quibble about exactly how acceptable certain terms have become. And his concept of a pronoun is broader than a typical linguist's.
Not to say I didn't learn from McWhorter. He delves deep into history, both proven and theoretical. He tries to make sense of bizarre metaphors and grammatical constructions. He quotes plenty of cultural references, popular or obscure. (I predicted some, but apparently, Huck Finn was too obvious.)
And yes, it's pretty funny. Just taking a serious approach to such a casual subject can be tickling. McWhorter enhances it with some choice comparisons, leading me to read more carefully than I usually do. That said, his word order gets strange sometimes, like when he starts a sentence with "Too," meaning "Also."
I won't put more McWhorter on my wish list, but if I receive another book of his, I expect to read it. NNW is close enough to my comfort zone after all.
Now I've snatched George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin from a Little Free Library. I'm sure it includes no profanity whatsoever.