Word Crimes (with John McWhorter)

Stay Tuned with Preet

Vox Media Podcast Network

Society & Culture, Politics, Government, News

4.8 • 32.3K Ratings

🗓️ 3 April 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Why is changing pronouns so controversial? That’s the question at the heart of Pronoun Trouble, the latest book from linguist and author John McWhorter. In this week’s episode, McWhorter joins Preet to unpack the surprisingly fraught world of English grammar—from the history of words like “thou” and “y’all” to the modern debate over the singular “they.” Later in the episode, constitutional law scholar Max Stearns joins the show to explore what the American system might learn from parliamentary democracies around the world. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/word-crimes-with-john-mcwhorter/ You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at [email protected], or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	From Cafe and the Vox Media Podcast Network, welcome to stay tuned.
0:06.2	I'm Preet Bharara.
0:08.0	Pronouns have a way of changing because all words generally do.
0:12.3	But if a pronoun's changing, you feel like somebody's telling you to not use the middle finger on your right hand all day.
0:18.8	And you're trying not to, but it's really hard.
0:21.3	That's John McWhorter.
0:22.9	He's a linguist, author, and professor at Columbia University,
0:27.2	known for his sharp takes on language, race, and culture.
0:30.7	McWhorter's new book, Pronown Trouble, The Story of Us in Seven Little Words,
0:35.1	hits shelves this week.
0:36.8	In our conversation, we explore the surprising
0:39.1	history behind the words we use every day, why English is pronoun starved, and how language is
0:44.7	getting caught in the crossfire of today's culture wars. That's coming up. Stay tuned. Support for this show comes from Shopify.
1:00.1	With Shopify, it's easy to create your brand, open up for business, and get your first sale.
1:05.3	Use their customizable templates, powerful social media tools, and a single dashboard for managing it all.
1:11.0	The best time to start your new business is right now,
1:13.8	because established in 2025 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
1:17.5	Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash Vox Business,
1:22.3	all lowercase.
1:23.5	Go to Shopify.com slash Vox Business to start selling with Shopify today. Shopify.com
1:29.4	slash Vox Business.
1:33.6	I've never felt like this before. It's like you just get me. I feel like my true self with you.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.