Wordslut

Studying the evolution of language is one of my nerdy passions (why yes, I have read The Professor and the Madman about the writing of the Oxford English Dictionary), so this book was right up my alley.

In Wordslut reporter, linguist, and Sounds Like a Cult podcaster (it’s great, check it out), author Amanda Montell deep dives into how language can both oppress and free us and gives loads of examples of how it’s been used throughout history to do both. Fun, snappy, and—bonus—educational, this was an eye-opening read that has helped me become a more precise communicator and altogether… show more.

Ok sure, she had me at the title. But Montell dives deep into the language we use every day that, yes, often demeans women. Many of our body parts were taken from Latin words that dudes used to describe them. And the meanings weren’t always flattering. She also explains the positives of Valley Girl-Speak such as “like” and of vocal fry, and women are so fast to say “sorry.” Did you know that “hussy” used to mean housewife and “slut” meant a messy person that could be a man? Or that “bitch” used to be a gender-neutral name that had… show more.