Prescriptivism-the view that there are correct and incorrect ways of speaking and writing-is the default view of most people. But the existence of variants of English, historical and contemporary, poses difficulties for prescriptivism. Further, a philosophical analysis of the concept of correctness shows that calling any way of using language incorrect is akin to calling a lampshade dishonest. It is what philosophers call a category mistake. This book calls for a different, more tolerant, attitude to language, one that respects the innate creativity and lust for novelty that defines Homo...