Linguist Reflects On 'Years Of Talking Dangerously'. Linguist Geoff Nunberg has made a living out of parsing phrases. His new book, The Years of Talking Dangerously, analyzes the buzzwords, stock phrases and metaphors that were made popular during the Bush administration's tenure.
Good interview. He comes across as standing firmly on the descriptive side of linguistics. I am curious about his position with Am. Her. and their usage panel, and how he balances the descriptive with the proscriptive in that role.