Ample research has explored language attitudes and speaker evaluations, yet it has not attended to direct incidences of language criticism. This article presents evidence demonstrating that a majority of those surveyed in Hawai'i have experienced language criticism. Coded data suggest that criticism takes place during employment, educational, familial, social and community interactions. People manage such episodes through a variety of communicative responses, ranging from avoidant to aggressive. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research on language criticism in other multilingual settings. (Contains 2 tables.)