This chapter discusses the impact of various groups, such as the young, females, and lower classes, in driving linguistic changes over time. It also examines the origins of language features deemed incorrect today and the advantages of filled pauses like 'um' and 'uh' in speech and memory.
Today, linguist Valerie Fridland ("Like, Literally, Dude") takes us on a tour of the speech habits we love to hate and makes the surprising argument that "like's" and "literally's" make us better communicators.