Malcolm Gladwell

John, sorry to be a dog with a bone here, but why don't we all use the English one?

As a kid, we would make fun of this because... My father would, I think he would use this locution and then he abandoned it. Because you're trapped once you start with the one. One doesn't think that one should do that, does one? And then you realize this is an endless stream of ones in your future.

As a kid, we would make fun of this because... My father would, I think he would use this locution and then he abandoned it. Because you're trapped once you start with the one. One doesn't think that one should do that, does one? And then you realize this is an endless stream of ones in your future.

It is. We'll be right back with more of my conversation with John McWhorter.

It is. We'll be right back with more of my conversation with John McWhorter.

We have questions.

We have questions.

Some of these questions are really good. The questions are always fun. How does English compare with other languages in terms of words on the move, the shifting of words' meaning over time?

Some of these questions are really good. The questions are always fun. How does English compare with other languages in terms of words on the move, the shifting of words' meaning over time?

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.

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.