About

I’m an internet linguist: I analyze the language of the internet, for the people of the internet.

I’m the author of the New York Times bestselling Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, a pop linguistics book about internet language which has been translated into Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. See reviews and other media about Because Internet here or a longer description and online ordering links here. If you want to make sure you don’t miss any future book or podcast news, you can sign up for my infrequent email newsletter.

I’m the co-creator of Lingthusiasm, a podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics. Buzzfeed describes the show as “joyously nerdy” and the New York Times said it’s “a fascinating listen that will change the way you see everyday communications.” — I’d suggest starting with our episode on When nothing means something.

I’ve been the Resident Linguist at WIRED, where I wrote a column about internet language, and I was also the Resident Linguist at The Toast. Here’s a longer list of my short-form writing. I’ve also planned, written, and fact-checked scripts for several fun linguistics youtube series, including Crash Course Linguistics and Tom Scott’s Language Files.

Notable linguistics topics I’ve written or spoken about include:

In addition to explaining linguistics to broader audiences, I also sometimes explain broader audiences to linguists through periodic talks and workshops on lingcomm.

When I’m not linguist-ing, I like fancy hats, indie ice cream shops, and fiction that expands my horizons.

Please note that my surname is not spelled the way that spellcheck thinks it is. If you’re writing it anywhere official, like a nametag, a contract, or an article, please double check! Here are some longer notes on pronouncing and spelling my name.

Want to interview me, or have me write, speak, or consult for you? Feel free to get in touch! Wondering what I’ve been up to lately? Check out the archives of my email newsletter. Looking to generally hang out? These days I’m mostly around on bluesky or instagram (RIP twitter).