When Wrong Becomes Right In The English Language with Professor Kate Burridge

Friday 24 Jul 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

For centuries, English has been polished, prodded and policed, but it was the late 18th and early 19th centuries that mark the true golden age of linguistic control — when the urge to perfect and protect the language reached its height. It was also the time when English began to be written about in earnest and, almost immediately, to be complained about in earnest as well.

This talk explores the lively industry of late modern grammarians and commentators who identified “errors” in words, sounds and structures that had long been comfortably at home in everyday speech. Many of these supposed mistakes now seem entirely unremarkable. Some have even become the preferred forms in contemporary usage guides and style manuals.

At the heart of the discussion is a striking reversal: what was once wrong is now right — and, in some cases, what was once right is now wrong. These shifting judgments point to a persistent tension: attempts to fix the language are continually undercut by the very dynamism they seek to contain.

Bio:

Kate Burridge is Professor of Linguistics at Monash University and a fellow of both the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Her research explores how language changes, why taboo words fascinate us, and how English has evolved over time — along with the many myths and misunderstandings that surround it. She has authored or edited more than 20 books on language and is passionate about bringing the ins and outs of English to a wider audience. She does this as a regular on radio, a contributor to The Conversation, and a former panellist on ABC TV’s Can We Help? (2007–11). Her TEDx talk, “Telling it like it isn’t”, reflects her interest in sharing the complexities of language with a wider audience.

Your ticket includes tea or Market Lane coffee served before the presentation, and time to browse our exclusive range of books, gifts, and homewares at TJC Emporium.

This event is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. NOTE: Tickets for this event do not include access to our house museum, Fairhall. Guided tours of the current exhibition can be booked separately.

This event is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

Image: Illustration by Felicity Burke (with apologies to Dr. Suess).