"I Miss the Old New York Sounds of My 50's Childhood"

This quote comes from a recent online chat Seth Lerer had on the Web site wordsmith.org to discuss his book Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language. Lerer explores a variety of questions related to the history and possible future of the English language, including What is the fate of regional dialects in the United States? How will instant messaging affect English? What are the origins of the affirmative “word”? and Why are Americans fascinated with British accents?