Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter — Then, Now, and Forever by John McWhorter

​I like linguistics. Maybe even love. I’m certainly fascinated by it all. Words, where they come from, how they go together. Venturing into the territory with an expert guide like McWhorter was an absolute pleasure.
The man knows what he’s talking about and knows how to talk about it. The book is a perfect example of pop science, entertaining, accessible, and informational.
As it should be, really, for a book about cussing. Everyone does it, some in whispers, some with gusto. It’s fun. It’s language as an emotional outburst. Or is it vice versa?
But why have we as a civilization deemed certain words some terrible unacceptable in polite society? Is it the words themselves or the baggage we have saddled them with over the years? Which words are worth reclaiming? Which are never ok to use?
Our language is evolving constantly. The current era of extra vigilant PC-policing has been making strides, leaps and bounds, occasionally disproportional to other sociopolitical factors. And yet, certain words remain a strict taboo for people across the board. McWhorter tours nine of them. It’s a tour well worth taking.
The author is clever, funny, erudite, engaging and so is his book. It zooms by as a font of information, knowledge, and ideas. If knowledge is power, this book is a powerblend extra protein smoothie. A tasty one. Recommended.