How many times have you heard or read phrases such as “ugly bitch,” “sick as a dog,” or “monkeying around”? Like most native English speakers, you’ve probably encountered those phrases often. According to Arran Stibbe, an ecological linguist, these are linguistic mechanisms that express negativity toward animals. I bet you’ve never thought of such phrases in that manner. In other words, the very words we use in communication, even when no ill intent is meant, become part of our lexicon and can have unintended negative effects.