Geoffrey Nunberg's Ascent Of The A-Word

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Geoffrey Nunberg, author of Ascent of the A-Word, has focused on the usage and evolution of the word “asshole.” He identifies three different ways the word “is most commonly used. First is, “as a reflection of our genuine attitudes, rather than what we think our attitudes should be.” The second and third, respectively, is the emergence of self-discovery and other cultural changes associated with the 1970’s and civility. The word was first used in a non-anatomical way during World War II. Nunberg cites it as a “G.I.’s word.” The first leader to be called the a-word, both by his men and his superiors, is George Patton. In that setting, the word is used to describe a self-entitled man who does not necessarily deserve recognition or respect. Someone

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