An issue of grave importance is sweeping our fair city today, as a debate rages about the proper pronunciation of the dreaded Van Wyck Expressway. Is it Van WICK (as in "stick") or, as some Dutch linguistic purists insist, Van WIKE (as in "like")? more ›

To linguists our city is part of what’s known as the "R-less corridor,” because New Yawkas, like South Londonaws before them, drop their “R’s” (My Daughta’s a lawya). But, most language experts agree that the designation is quickly becoming irrelevant. “New Yorkers are more and more 'R'-ful, and the amount of R-dropping is decreasing," says Michael Newman, associate professor of linguistics at Queens College. more ›

New research contends that it's not just the Lower East Side's distinctive architecture and character that are in danger — but also the neighborhood's unique dialect. Younger LES residents whose families have lived in the neighborhood for decades no longer speak with the recognizable inflection of older generations, according to a New York University linguistics student. more ›

Besides killing Mom ‘n’ Pop stores and displacing low-income residents, the rapid gentrification seen in some New York neighborhoods may be flushing the city’s famous working class dialect down the terlet. more ›