THE ART OF VERBAL WARFARE, by Rik Smits (Reaktion Books, $57.99 hb) The old saw has it completely wrong.
Sticks and stones will break our bones, but as Rik Smits' brilliantly sweary new book The Art of Verbal Warfare explains, names - that is to say words - can certainly hurt us. With language, any language, we can swear, curse, name call, intimidate, insult, misinform, disinform, cheat, ridicule, sexually harass, dehumanise and more. And each of these acts of verbal aggression has the ability to do harm. "Talk can wound, and often it does," the Dutch linguist and author writes.
That said, that this weighty, exhaustive examination of words as weapons (it runs to 500 pages) should be so entertaining says much about how enjoyable - as well as employable - verbal warfare is, at least for those of us who appreciate a great put-down and a pungent, full-bodied expletive.
Denne historien er fra November 12-18 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra November 12-18 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
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Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
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Hangry? Eat breakfast
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Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
