What Are We Reading? "Says Who?"

By Frances Moore
Director of Marketing & Communications

University of Michigan professor Anne Curzan has many linguistic/language-related credits to her name, and is very much considered an expert in her field. I first encountered her as the co-host of Michigan Public's weekly podcast That's What They Say, and was surprised to learn that this expert — a member of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel and the American Dialect Society, for example — viewed language and usage the same way that I did: it is an ever-evolving art. It's not an exact science, and never should be. Her flexible attitude toward usage supports my long-held sentiment: if you were easily understood, if the recipient of your words "got" what you were trying to convey, then you have effectively communicated. (And like Curzan, I take a bit of pleasure in knowing the rules, even if they are being broken.) 

Naturally, I had to buy her book, Says Who: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words. I've read many usage guides — both formal and informal in tone — and honestly will listen to/read just about anything related to language, linguistics, and usage, no matter how dry. But I knew that Curzan's take would never be dry. On the contrary, her usage guide is incredibly insightful, inclusive, and informative. Who knew, for example, that the ironic use of the word "literally" goes way back in written English, and even shows up in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Little Women? (Obviously some people knew, but I literally did not.)

In her analysis of "new-fangled" trends, such as "they" as a singular pronoun, or saying, "I'm good," instead of, "I'm well," Curzan challenges her readers to consider grammar "rules" (many of which were determined far more recently, and for reasons far less significant, than you'd think) through a more generous lens. She suggests that we ask ourselves whether we're bristling at someone's language usage because it's contrary to what we were taught, or because it is confusing or unclear — there's a big distinction there. Most importantly, she reminds her readers, never expect language to be static. It can — and will — change over time, whether we agree or not.

Recommended for: anyone who loves language, history, trivia, and/or irreverence.