What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe? Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HOST: Mignon Fogarty VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network . L...
Nov 06, 2020•13 min•Ep. 249
We have some theories on why people write things such as "'fresh' meat." Plus, we dig in to the two spellings of "dialog" (or is that "dialogue"?). Read the transcript: Scare Quotes . 'Dialog' or 'Dialogue'? Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar...
Oct 29, 2020•11 min•Ep. 795
6 steps to help you create gripping characters. Plus, we talk about how to format internal dialogue: italics, quotation marks, or nothing? Read the transcript: Character Creation. Formatting Internal Dialogue. Reedsy Character Profile Template Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Grammar Pop iOS gam...
Oct 22, 2020•15 min•Ep. 794
Journalists "bury the lede," not the "lead." But why do they spell it that way? And what do HTK, TK, and CQ stand for? From "hed" to "spox," here's all the journo jargon that's fit to print. Read the transcript: Lede Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game ...
Oct 15, 2020•16 min•Ep. 793
It's not lazy and it's not just filler, but using "like" too much can still get you in trouble. Read the transcript: Like Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HOST: Mignon Fogarty VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) Grammar Girl...
Oct 08, 2020•16 min•Ep. 792
What happens when I discover that my pet peeve is wrong? Also, why do we write with cliches? Should we stop, and if so, how? Read the transcript: Although . Cliches . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HOST: Mignon Fogarty VOICEM...
Oct 01, 2020•12 min•Ep. 791
If getting laurels is good, and being a Nobel laureate is good, how did we get to "resting on your laurels" being bad? Also, we learn that the word "smarmy" started as a joke (in fact, a kind of familect story). Read the transcript: Laurels . Smarmy . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar P...
Sep 24, 2020•15 min•Ep. 790
Believe it or not, there are actually rules to being funny. Also, do you think "woah" is a separate word from "whoa"? Some people do, and they think it has a separate meaning. Read the transcript: Humor Writing . Whoa . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card ga...
Sep 17, 2020•15 min•Ep. 789
People have been asking about the "unavailable" meaning of "out of pocket" for decades, but there's also an "inappropriate" meaning that is spreading. Read the transcript: Out of Pocket Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HOST: Mi...
Sep 10, 2020•16 min•Ep. 788
Nick and Hannah explain "red" and "blue," the origin of "POTUS," why the Declaration of Independence is the greatest break-up letter ever written, and more. Read the transcript: The Interview Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HO...
Sep 03, 2020•25 min•Ep. 787
Whether you call it "doomscrolling" or "doomsurfing," it's not your fault that you feel compelled to do it. "Doom" has an interesting history though. Also, in honor of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," we talk about being excellent to each other (or should that be one another?). Read the transcripts: Doomscrolling . Each Other . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn ...
Aug 27, 2020•15 min•Ep. 786
Have you been told to write "run the GANTLET"? Here's why you shouldn't. Also, editor Ben Yagoda explains why he's so tempted to use "had went" instead of "had gone." Read the transcripts: Gauntlet . Had Went . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag @GrammarGirl to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Grammar Pop iOS game. Peeve Wars card game...
Aug 20, 2020•12 min•Ep. 785
Kamala Harris's selection as Joe Biden's running mate is important, significant, and a number of firsts, but should we call it "historic" or "historical"? (Also, learn about the time a woman shook her fist at me.) Plus, Edwin Battistella has some great examples that show how small changes in punctuation can change the meaning and pacing of your work. Read the transcripts: Historic . Punctuation . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to ...
Aug 13, 2020•15 min•Ep. 784
Isaias. Mitch. Andrew. Jimena. How hurricanes get their names, and why you'll see some names twice and others never again. Also, have you ever heard that you shouldn't use contractions in your writing? We have the real story. Read the transcripts: Hurricanes . Contractions . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitte...
Aug 06, 2020•18 min•Ep. 783
What are those double dots over letters in English? Why does "money" have a plural, and how do you spell it? Read the transcripts: Diaeresis . 'Monies' or 'Moneys'? Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HOST: Mignon Fogarty VOICEMAIL: 833-214-...
Jul 30, 2020•10 min•Ep. 782
Blursday is a popular word to use when you don't know what day of the week it is. It captures that disoriented feeling when everything is a blur. And our wonderful fiction editor Diana Pho is back with a comparison of middle grade and young adult fiction. You'll learn a lot! Read the transcripts: Blursday. Middle Grade Versus Young Adult Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learni...
Jul 23, 2020•17 min•Ep. 781
We started to wonder about the question words in the phrase "Who does what and goes where when." Read the transcript . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar Girl books . HOST: Mignon Fogarty VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) Grammar Girl is part of th...
Jul 16, 2020•15 min•Ep. 780
Imagine the bragging rights: The OED needs your help antedating words. Why you should capitalize "Black." How playwriting techniques can improve your writing. Read the transcripts: OED . Black . Playwriting . OED Antedating Link: public.oed.com/appeals/oed-antedatings Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Gra...
Jul 09, 2020•14 min•Ep. 779
The Saharan dust plumes can make the sky red, but they aren't the source of the old saying "Red skies at night, sailor's delight. Red skies in the morning, sailor take warning." That comes from clouds! Also, we talk about which came first: "yikes" or "yoiks." Read the transcripts: Red Skies . Yoiks . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversat...
Jul 02, 2020•14 min•Ep. 778
Fiction editor Joshua Essoe gives his best tips for writing fight scenes (hint: it's not about the fighting). And he describes how he got his first editing gig, which has led to a solid career as a freelance fiction editor. Get Joshua's book, Essoe's Guides to Writing: Action Sequences . Read the transcript . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the ...
Jun 25, 2020•29 min•Ep. 777
Our writer was surprised when he came across "clew" instead of "clue" in a detective novel from 1929, and the explanation includes a great story about the origin of the word "clue." Also, people have been wondering about the difference between "systematic" and "systemic." They come from the same root, but have subtle differences in meaning. Don't get it wrong! Read the transcripts: ‘Clue’ or ‘Clew’? ‘Systemic’ or ‘Systematic’? Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Gram...
Jun 18, 2020•12 min•Ep. 776
We started to wonder why people seem to forget the second half of the saying about bad apples. Plus, we settle a dispute about the difference between "a couple" and "a few." Read the transcripts: Bad Apples . A Couple and a Few . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card gam...
Jun 11, 2020•11 min•Ep. 775
Roy Peter Clark has been teaching writing at the Poynter Institute since 1977 and regularly offers up some of the best writing advice I see. Today, we talked about Writing differently during the pandemic Living up to your duty as a writer to achieve civic clarity Creating his new book, " Murder Your Darlings " Learning that one of his best writing tips (which he shares) is as old as Roman times Being a putter-inner instead of a taker-outter Read the transcript: Roy Peter Clark interview . Use th...
Jun 04, 2020•33 min•Ep. 774
How postal zones led to ZIP codes. Why I like to put a hyphen in "re-enter." How "bougie," which today has a negative connotation, came from an older word that meant simply "middle class." Read the transcripts: ZIP Codes . Re-enter . Bougie . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve ...
May 28, 2020•12 min•Ep. 773
If you've ever wondered how to capitalize 'ZIP Code' (or is that 'ZIP code' or 'zip code'?), this one is for you. Plus, I have an interview with Deirdre Mask about this history and importance of addresses in general. It's fascinating! Read the transcripts: ZIP Codes . Deirdre Mask Interview . Links mentioned in the podcast: ESRI Tapestry . Missing Maps . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch m...
May 21, 2020•22 min•Ep. 772
Our guest, Lindsay McMahon of the All Ears English podcast, recently hired and now shares the lessons she learned going through a lot of bad résumés and cover letters. Read the transcripts: Dos and Don'ts for Job Applications . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game ...
May 14, 2020•16 min•Ep. 771
Why do we use the new spelling "Muslim" and not the older spelling "Moslem" anymore? Also, we talk about AP Stylebook updates and end up on a fun tangent about a gender-neutral term for "fisherman." Read the transcripts: Muslim . AP Style Update s. Fisherman . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop...
May 07, 2020•13 min•Ep. 770
Here's why we say "cool your heels" and "cool your jets"—they're different! Also, we take a close look at the word "zhuzh" which means to make something more interesting or attractive. You may have never seen it spelled before, and there's a reason. Read the transcripts: Cool Your Heels . Zhuzh . Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation ...
Apr 30, 2020•18 min•Ep. 769
We know we can be overwhelmed. Why aren't we ever just whelmed? Also, maybe it was having cabin fever that made us start thinking about all the English idioms that use the word "fever." Read the transcripts: Whelmed . Fever Idioms . Nina Simone video of " Rags and Old Iron ." Leave a review on Grammar Girl's Podchaser profile before April 30, 2020, to benefit Meals on Wheels. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Fac...
Apr 23, 2020•11 min•Ep. 768
From 19th century grammatical duels to modern day suicide prevention campaigns, the semicolon has a long history of inspiring strong emotions. Read the transcript. The Semicolon Profile of Lindley Murray Leave a review on Grammar Girl's Podchaser profile before April 30, 2020, to benefit Meals on Wheels. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course . Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter . Grammar Pop iOS game . Peeve Wars card game . Grammar...
Apr 16, 2020•29 min•Ep. 767
