Malcolm Gladwell

Someone once told me, I don't know if this is true as a Canadian, that in Quebec, the French that is spoken is archaic French. So why is Quebecois French not moving at the same pace as French French? So that does suggest that different languages move at different rates.

What are your thoughts on black American English being adopted by younger generations in the slang they use? I'm assuming this question is about by younger and in some cases non-black generations.

What are your thoughts on black American English being adopted by younger generations in the slang they use? I'm assuming this question is about by younger and in some cases non-black generations.

Yeah. We have to end, sadly. But I want to ask you one last question, and that is one of my... It's my favorite question for someone like you. Let's imagine you were made language czar of America with absolute powers. I want you to tell me the three... Language fixes you would impose on all of us. You want y'all. We've given that to you. I want three new ones, and then we're done.

Yeah. We have to end, sadly. But I want to ask you one last question, and that is one of my... It's my favorite question for someone like you. Let's imagine you were made language czar of America with absolute powers. I want you to tell me the three... Language fixes you would impose on all of us. You want y'all. We've given that to you. I want three new ones, and then we're done.

No one uses more exclamation marks points in email than me. You know this. Are you really doing this? Oh, my God. It's so excessive. It's to the point now where I think that with people I'm regularly corresponding with, if I only use two, they'll think that I'm mad at them. And so why is Malcolm so cold today? He's cut back to two exclamation. So I gotta do like three and four.

No one uses more exclamation marks points in email than me. You know this. Are you really doing this? Oh, my God. It's so excessive. It's to the point now where I think that with people I'm regularly corresponding with, if I only use two, they'll think that I'm mad at them. And so why is Malcolm so cold today? He's cut back to two exclamation. So I gotta do like three and four.

It's out of control.

It's out of control.

Well, you might be angry. But you might well be angry, John.

Well, you might be angry. But you might well be angry, John.

Is the correct response to it is what it is, it isn't what it is? Is that what, yeah, but, yeah, yeah, yeah, but it isn't what it is. In this case.

Is the correct response to it is what it is, it isn't what it is? Is that what, yeah, but, yeah, yeah, yeah, but it isn't what it is. In this case.

John, this has been great fun. This is a wonderful book. You should all go and get it and give it to your friends as well. And thank you for joining us tonight. And thank you, John. Thank you, Malcolm. Thank you. Thanks for listening. Coming up on Revisionist History, an episode about faces, an episode on raccoons, and another on English muffins.

John, this has been great fun. This is a wonderful book. You should all go and get it and give it to your friends as well. And thank you for joining us tonight. And thank you, John. Thank you, Malcolm. Thank you. Thanks for listening. Coming up on Revisionist History, an episode about faces, an episode on raccoons, and another on English muffins.

Revisionist History is produced by Nina Bird Lawrence, Lucy Sullivan, and Ben-Nadav Haffrey. Our editor is Karen Shakerji. Mixed and mastered by Sarah Bruguier. Engineered by Nina Bird Lawrence. Original score and music by Luis Guerra. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith. Special thanks to Sarah Nix and Greta Kohn. I'm Malcolm Gladwell.

Revisionist History is produced by Nina Bird Lawrence, Lucy Sullivan, and Ben-Nadav Haffrey. Our editor is Karen Shakerji. Mixed and mastered by Sarah Bruguier. Engineered by Nina Bird Lawrence. Original score and music by Luis Guerra. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith. Special thanks to Sarah Nix and Greta Kohn. I'm Malcolm Gladwell.

This is an iHeart Podcast.

This is an iHeart Podcast.

When Malcolm Gladwell presented NPR's Throughline podcast with a Peabody Award, he praised it for its historical and moral clarity. On Throughline, we take you back in time to the origins of what's in the news, like presidential power, aging, and evangelicalism. Time travel with us every week on the Throughline podcast from NPR.