David Crystal

May 28, 2012 Linguist David Crystal believes every word has a story to tell, even the ones as commonplace as "and." In The Story of English in 100 Words, he compiles a collection of words — classic words like "tea" and new words like "app" — that explain how the English language has evolved.

Summary

April 2, 2012 Linguist David Crystal believes every word has a story to tell, even the ones as commonplace as "and." In The Story of English in 100 Words, he compiles a collection of words — classic words like "tea" and new words like "app" — that explain how the English language has evolved.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist

May 17, 2011 English is definitely changing, but whether it's declining or evolving depends on who — ahem, whom — you ask. Writer Robert Lane Greene recommends three books about what it means to speak and write "well" — when the definition of "well" is a moving target.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 22, 2010 In Begat, David Crystal sets out to prove that the King James Bible has contributed more to the English language than any other literary source. If you've ever "fought the good fight" or chuckled at "what comes out of the mouths of babes," you just might agree with him.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist

June 15, 2010 Some linguists lament that in the digital age, once-sacred grammar skills will be lost in the shorthand shuffle of texting and tweeting. But language expert David Crystal isn't worried. In A Little Book Of Language, he writes about how kids actually do love words.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist

September 29, 2009 Whether near his home in Wales or abroad, linguist David Crystal always travels with an insatiable curiosity about the English language. For his book, Walking English, he hit the road in search of new linguistic experiences.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist

December 2, 2008 LOL. OMG. BRB. Text messages and instant messenger programs have spawned a variety of abbreviations and shortcuts that are sneaking into colloquial English. In his new book, Txtng, David Crystal takes on the h8ers who want to know why kids these days are too lazy to use vowels.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist