Fighting Words!

Eric Louis Russell is Professor of French & Italian at the University of California at Davis, with affiliations in the Linguistics Department and the Program in Gender, Sexualities & Women’s Studies. He is the author of Alpha Masculinity: Hegemony in Language and Discourse and The Discursive Ecology of Homophobia: Unraveling Anti-LGBTQ Speech on the European Far Right.

“In a single accessible, readable, and relevant volume infused with wry humor and keen insights, Fighting Words! offers readers an indispensable primer on topics ranging from linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics to political correctness and cancel culture. Beginning with a focus on “bad” language, the volume invites the reader to question, reexamine, and reimagine the very construct of what language is, imploring us to consider language as a verb: to language. To help his readers question the language that permeates the contemporary sociopolitical space, Russell skillfully embeds his analysis of transgressive languaging acts in engaging, relevant contexts: the Trump years, overheard conversations, rap music, and the ubiquitous “Karens” who dominate social media. Via these rich and provocative examples, Russell encourages the reader to examine these linguistic transgressions more thoughtfully and critically. Discussion Questions and Suggestions for Further Reading are provided at the end of each chapter, providing not simply “food for thought,” but rather provocative and insightful stimuli for difficult conversations. Fighting Words! is essential reading for a divided nation of people struggling, but often failing, to understand each other.” Thomas Jesús Garza, The University of Texas at Austin, USA"Both accessible and intellectually rigorous, this fascinating and thought-provoking analysis of linguistic transgression draws on recognizable and culturally salient examples to explore how “bad language” comes to be judged as “bad” in specific sociocultural settings, and how this “badness” is enacted, policed, reclaimed, and resisted. Throughout the book, Eric Russell expertly guides the reader through foundational and often complex concepts in linguistics, semiotics, and discourse studies. Fighting Words!, written with both academic seriousness and a perfect dose of humor, offers a fresh look at taboo language, and is a must-read for all students and scholars interested in meaning-making at the intersection of language, discourse, and culture." Dominika Baran, Duke University, USA

• Prologue – On Never Looking AwayChapter One – Rethinking Language: Foundations for CritiqueChapter Two – Languaging Transgression: “Grabbing Pussy” and “Locker Room Talk”Chapter Three – Languaging Meaning: “Rolling Coal” and “Having Balls”Chapter Four – Languaging Worldview: Ideology and MythologyChapter Five – Languaging Authority and Power: Karens in the WildChapter Six – Languaging Consequence: Linguistic Performativity and Hate SpeechChapter Seven – Languaging Cancellation: The Ecology of Discourse and HegemonyChapter Eight – Languaging Rebellion: When Pussy Grabs Back