Search the Fresh Air Archive

Close Search

Adverbs are the Queens of Language

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg says that the word is akin to the New York City borough -- little known and misunderstood by many. He has this commentary.

04:07
Queue

Contributor

Related Topics

Other segments from the episode on January 12, 1995

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 12, 1995: Interview with Brian Wilson; Interview with Timothy White; Interview with Edward Zwick; Commentary on adverbs.
Queue
13:23

The History and Mythology of the Beach Boys

Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine Timothy White has written a new book that traces the evolution of the "myth" of Southern California through the lens of the Beach Boys and the Wilson family. It's called "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience."

Interview

Transcript

Transcript currently not available.

Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

You May Also like

Queue
05:42

The Word 'Hopefully' Is Here To Stay, Hopefully

When The Associated Press said it would no longer condemn the use of the adverb "hopefully" in its style guide, most people shrugged. But the announcement was a red flag to people who have made the adverb the biggest bugaboo of English usage over the past 50 years.

Commentary

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Learn How
Advertisement

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue