This work investigates the linguistic mechanisms behind dogwhistles, questioning how specific utterances can convey covert meanings to select audiences while remaining deniable to others. Elin McCready and Robert M. Henderson utilize formal semantics and pragmatics to construct a rigorous framework for understanding how coded language functions in political and social discourse. By analyzing the intersection of speaker intent, audience reception, and contextual ambiguity, the authors provide a technical model for identifying and deconstructing these communicative strategies.

Experts in the field of linguistics recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of coded language and political communication. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of formal semantics to fully grasp the authors' arguments.