Slam Dunks and No-Brainers, or how language happens in real time

January 31st, 2006 · No Comments

I’ve been reading Leslie Savan’s excellent book Slam Dunks and No-Brainers, which cleverly shows the ways we use language. How does language move from slang to “pop”, from a back alley to a Madison Avenue commercial, and what does it mean when marketers believe that the only cool left is gained by imitating cool?