About this episode
Valerie Fridland discusses the significance of accents and their connection to identity and history.
Ever been told you have an accent — or quietly judged someone else's? We all have one, but most of us know surprisingly little about where they come from or why they persist. Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada, argues that our accents aren't errors to be corrected — they're living records of migration, identity, and history. Her new book, Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents, is a fun, smart, and surprising guide to the sounds that define us. And in the second half of the show, she shares some big ideas from her earlier book, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English. 🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you used code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com ✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com Sponsored By: Homeserve — Go to homeserve.com/nbid to find the plan that's right for you FODZYME. — Finally, you can enjoy your favorite foods without the pain. Go to icaneatagain.com/daily
People in this episode
Host: Next Big Idea Club
Guest: Valerie Fridland
Topics covered
- accents
- linguistics
- migration
- identity
- history
- language
Keywords
- accents
- linguistics
- migration
- identity
- language
- Valerie Fridland
- Next Big Idea Club
Sponsors
Homeserve, FODZYME
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Nevada
Books & works: Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English
More episodes of The Next Big Idea Daily
- The Places That Shape Us · June 12, 2026 · 19 min
- Serve. Lead. Repeat. · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
- Defying Destiny: Longevity, Epigenetics, and the Myth of “Fixed” Biology · June 10, 2026 · 22 min
- Evolution’s Secret Weapon (and How to Use It) · June 9, 2026 · 31 min
- Gold Fever, Land Rush · June 8, 2026 · 21 min
- The Climate Change Survival Guide · June 5, 2026 · 26 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Next Big Idea Daily podcast page.