"Um, like, literally, you know?"If those words sound to you like nails on a chalkboard, you're not alone. At NPR, we get lots of messages from listeners critiquing the way our hosts, reporters, and guests speak.

Why does what we say and how we say it irk so many so much?

Language norms are standardized over time, most often by groups with the most power in society. Words that some dismiss often have greater meaning, value, and history than you might expect.

We talk to sociolinguist Valerie Fridland about why she's arguing for the good in so-called bad English.

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