While the more conservative-minded language scholars lament the slide of American English into a hodgepodge of poor grammar and regional dialects, John H. McWhorter celebrates this evolution. The Word on the Street: Fact and Fable about American English , deflates any rigid conceptions of American English; instead, McWhorter urges readers to look at language in fluid, rather than stonelike, terms, and in the process challenges the linguistic orthodoxy that governs the way we speak. . In The Word on the Street, John McWhorter reveals our American English in all its variety, beauty, and expressiveness. Debunking the myth of a pure standard English, he considers the speech patterns and accents of many regions and ethnic groups in the U. S. and demonstrates how language evolves. He takes up the tricky question of gender-neutral pronouns. He dares to ask, Should we translate Shakespeare? Focusing on whether how our children speak determines how they learn, he presents the controversial Ebonics debate in light of his research on dialects and creoles. The Word on the Street frees us to truly speak our minds. It is John McWhorter's answer to William Safire, transformed here into everybody's Aunt Lucy, who insists on correcting our grammar and making us feel slightly embarrassed about our everyday use of the language. (To whom, she will insist, and don't split your infinitives!) He reminds us that we'd better accept the fact that language is always changing - not only slang, but sound, syntax, and words' meanings - and get on with the business of communicating effectively with one another.