Talk Like a Californian

“The Dubs are finna go undefeated, yaddadi-mean? If you didn’t understand that, there’s a new book that might be able to help... The author, Colleen Dunn Bates (who uses the pen name Helena Ventura), said she wrote the slim book mostly for fun. But it could also help save new arrivals to California from embarrassment.”—The New York Times

"Good looks!"
—Madeleine Brand, KCRW/NPR

“I smiled at the clean, sunny layout and laughed at the wit of the more outrageous of the usage examples…. Talk Like a Californian can help you to flip a bitch (to make a sudden U-turn) in the face of life’s eggy (dull, blah, boring) moments and turn them into golden time (super-duper overtime that typically kicks in for union workers after 16 hours).”
— Santa Barbara Independent

"The book is full of knowing insights into seemingly small phrases that offer real glimpses into the way we live from how we talk… the only thing wrong with the volume is it’s too slim, which in the end invites a sequel, which will be a good thing. Then I can learn new variants on my native tongue to complement this techism: ‘three commas club,’ as in being suddenly worth a cool billion.”
—Larry Wilson, Los Angeles Daily News and Pasadena Star-News

“Dude, hack the lingo and grab some of this sweet California speak with Talk Like a Californian… an epic book to give to friends… also entertaining to share with friends over guac and beer.”
—Larchmont Chronicle