This book investigates how pronunciation in Britain evolved into a potent social symbol and a marker of identity during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Lynda Mugglestone, a scholar of English language and literature, examines the intersection of social class, cultural sensitivity, and linguistic change. She argues that the period's shifting attitudes toward speech patterns established many of the peculiarities that persist in modern English usage.

Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the sociolinguistic history of the English language. Readers frequently note the academic rigor and the depth of historical research presented in the text.