916. Grant Faulkner, author of "The Art of Brevity" and executive director of NaNoWriMo talks with us about how writing very short stories can improve all your writing. (And whether it's worth it to get an MFA these days.) | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/grant-faulkner/transcript | Grant's Website : https://grantfaulkner.com/ | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books ....
Feb 21, 2023•28 min•Ep. 916
913. Love is much more than romance, and different languages reveal universal truths about the different kinds of love. Plus, we look at whether you should write about wool sweaters or woolen sweaters, silk blouses or silken blouses, wood benches or wooden benches. Is it actually OK to use nouns as adjectives? | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/kinds-of-love/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peev...
Feb 14, 2023•12 min•Ep. 915
914. To mark the 50th anniversary of "Schoolhouse Rock," the Saturday morning cartoon that taught millions of children about grammar, math, and more, we have a special multi-interview podcast, including memories from George Newall, one of the creators of the show. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/schoolhouse-rock/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | ...
Feb 07, 2023•15 min•Ep. 914
913. This week brought us a silly kerfuffle in which the AP may have insulted France. Plus, we investigate the origin of the phrase "out over your skis" and why the apostrophe seems wrong in the company name Lands' End. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/the-french/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833...
Jan 31, 2023•16 min•Ep. 913
912. We look at who the Teddy is in "teddy bears" and reveal why the Brothers Grimm, from fairytales, were also massively important in linguistics. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/teddy-bears/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/grammargirl | Grammar Girl is part of ...
Jan 24, 2023•9 min•Ep. 912
911. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we cover a bunch of interesting things about labels such as "Jr.," "Sr.," and "III." Plus, we look at the origin of the names Carl's Jr. and Ruth's Chris Steak house. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/comma-before-jr/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-21...
Jan 17, 2023•15 min•Ep. 911
910. The final Grammar Girl word-of-the-year vote came down to "inflation" and "quiet quitting." We look at the interesting arguments voters made for both. Plus, we look at why some words that start with "un-" mean "not" and others mean "reversed"— and about the especially interesting words that can mean either (and why). | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/2022-woty/transcript "Un-" Words Segment Written by Edwin L. Battistella , author of " Dangerous, Crooked Scoundrels:...
Jan 10, 2023•15 min•Ep. 910
909. In honor of 2023, we’ll talk about writing dates. And then we talk about a fascinating study about how COVID has changed the way we think about certain words. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/writing-dates/transcript COVID Words Segment Written by Valerie Fridland . Reference: Kleinman D, Morgan AM, Ostrand R, Wittenberg E (2022) Lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on language processing. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0269242. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular upda...
Jan 03, 2023•15 min•Ep. 909
908. You had word-related questions after watching the World Cup. We have answers! And for the holidays, we look at the origin of toasting with wine (and why it actually IS related to toasted bread). | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/world-cup-words/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or h...
Dec 27, 2022•15 min•Ep. 908
907. The fabulous Kory Stamper, author of "Word by Word," joins me this week to talk about words of the year: how they get chosen, what makes each one different, and what people yearn for in their words of the year. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/words-or-the-year/transcript My guest is Kory Stamper , author of " Word by Word, the Secret Life of Dictionaries ." | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wa...
Dec 20, 2022•34 min•Ep. 907
906. A'wassailing. Noel. Mistletoe. Trolling the ancient Yuletide carol, and more. We look into the wonderful words of Christmas and their origins — as delightful as a Christmas cookie. You'll be shouting "drink-hail!" forevermore. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/wonderful-words-of-christmas/transcript The first segment was written by Kate Burridge and Howard Manns from Monash University. It appears here through a Creative Commons license. Read the original article . |...
Dec 13, 2022•16 min•Ep. 906
905. Bonus Episode! You helped solve the mystery of my father's favorite childhood book. I also share quick and dirty tips from my email newsletter, my favorite social media posts, and some of my favorite products (one of which isn't a product at all). | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/we-found-the-book/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Affiliate link to get 40% off your first purchase at Thrive grocery: http://thrv.me/JnaJcb | Watch my Lin...
Dec 06, 2022•13 min•Ep. 905
903. "Through" and "throughout" may seem interchangeable, but they're not. We have some creative memory tricks to help you remember the difference. Plus, we have fun with the word "honeyfuggler." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/what-is-a-honeyfuggler/transcript | Ragan Advanced AP Style Webinar The "through" segment was written by Ryan Paulsen who is an avid word nerd and co-host of the etymology podcast " Lexitecture . The "honeyfuggler" segment was written by Edwin L...
Dec 02, 2022•13 min•Ep. 904
903. A listener heard some jargon, and then got annoyed by "said" jargon, so we explored why. Plus, who the heck are your kith? And finally, we got excited about the first new Scrabble words since 2018. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/a-strange-use-of-said/transcript | Ragan Advanced AP Style Webinar | Merriam-Webster Scrabble Website The "said" segment was written by Susan K. Herman, a former editor, language analyst, and language instructor for the U.S. Government. T...
Nov 25, 2022•13 min•Ep. 903
902. Language reflects culture, so it's no surprise that giving thanks hundreds of years ago was different from giving thanks today. We have the fascinating history. Plus, since "Thanksgiving" is a gerund, we looked at all the interesting things you can do with gerunds in general. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/thank-you-history/transcript The Thanksgiving history segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno a...
Nov 18, 2022•17 min•Ep. 902
901. WWII spawned a bunch of new words, including "boffin" and "bonkers." We'll look into the history of these fun words and more in honor of Veterans Day. Plus, we'll talk about why an Australian called her desk being on fire, "a bit of an issue." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/wwii-words-a-bit-of-an-issue-kleenex/transcript | The segment on "a bit" is written by Isabelle Burke , Research Fellow in Linguistics, the Faculty of Arts, Monash University. It originally ap...
Nov 11, 2022•14 min•Ep. 901
900. The story of the @ symbol is much bigger than email. In fact, it was used for hundreds of years before being saved from obscurity by the invention of electronic communication. I explore the medieval origin story of @, plus share a bunch of fun names for it in other languages. Also, many style books recently removed the hyphen from dual-heritage terms like "Asian American," and I explain why in a segment that includes a tribute to former Los Angeles Times editor Henry Fuhrmann. | Transcript:...
Nov 04, 2022•15 min•Ep. 900
899. Believe it or not, "magick" isn't just a funky way of spelling "magic." The two spellings have different meanings. Plus, we look at the unusual origins of other cool words that make us think of Halloween: "haunt," "grave," "mesmerize," and "macabre." | Segment 1 on "magic" versus "magick" was written by Michaela Dunn . | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/magic-versus-magick | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course...
Oct 28, 2022•14 min•Ep. 899
898. Randall Munroe joined me this week to talk about his language-themed xkcd cartoons, his simple-language project Up Goer V, his biggest pet peeve, his favorite words, and his new book "What If? 2." But I have to confess that my favorite part was his tidbits about the bee laws. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/randall-munroe-of-xkcd | Buy What If? 2. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Buy the Peeve Wars...
Oct 21, 2022•36 min•Ep. 898
897. Have you ever written yourself into a "that that" or a "had had" situation and wondered how you got there? It doesn't mean you're a bad writer! I explain why this happens sometimes and how to best fix it. Also, we talk about the fascinating subconscious rules that guide conversations. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/the-subconscious-rules-of-conversation | Segment 2 is by Valerie Fridland: Website . Twitter . | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | W...
Oct 14, 2022•17 min•Ep. 897
896. If you've ever wondered why we pronounce the "-ed" at the end of "wicked" (and "jagged," "beloved" and more), but don't at the end of words like "aggrieved," this show is for you! You'll also discover why "wicked" is different from "naked" and what's weird about the phrase "wicked witch." Plus, you'll learn why we call some food "deviled." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/the-weird-pronunciation-of-wicked | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch ...
Oct 07, 2022•15 min•Ep. 896
895. A listener asked why he's hearing people refer to men as "widows," and we found a surprising history. Also, I recently mentioned a blurb I wrote, and a reader wanted to know where we get that funny word "blurb." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/when-is-a-man-a-widow | Merriam-Webster "blurb" article . | Grammar Girl sci-fi versus fantasy article . | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card gam...
Sep 30, 2022•11 min•Ep. 895
894. Whether you're getting ready for National Novel Writing Month or just want to watch movies or read novels with more insight, this interview with fiction editor Joshua Essoe will help you about mood and atmosphere in ways you probably haven't considered before. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/mood-atmosphere-in-fiction-an-interview-with-joshua-essoe | Joshua Essoe's website . | Storybundle book bundles . | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch m...
Sep 23, 2022•34 min•Ep. 894
893. You may be surprised by the origin of the split infinitive "rule" and by the times they are OK...or even necessary! Also, we look at slang phrases that drop whole grammatical elements and how they reinforce that in-group/out-group feeling of slang. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/split-infinitives | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty ...
Sep 16, 2022•15 min•Ep. 893
892. We recently got a question about why people use a type of double-verb construction, such as "We might could go to the store." We have the answer! Plus, in honor of the upcoming National Hispanic Heritage Month, we look at the influence Spanish has had on English. You probably know more Spanish words than you realize! Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/why-some-people-say-might-could "Double Modals" was written by Neal Whitman . "The Spanish Influence on English" was wr...
Sep 09, 2022•19 min•Ep. 892
891. Your mind will be blown when you learn about accent hallucination. (Mine was!) And then we'll learn how to avoid false ranges. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/accent-hallucination-false-ranges References for the Accent Hallucination segment by Valerie Fridland : Babel, M., & Russell, J. (2015). Expectations and speech intelligibility. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America , 137 (5), 2823–2833. Bradlow, A. R., and Bent, T. (2008). Perceptual adaptation to ...
Sep 02, 2022•19 min•Ep. 891
890. John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com , talks with Mignon about a bunch of fun new words and about how words get added to the dictionary in general. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/skrrt-bottle-episode-skeuomorphs | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/gram...
Aug 26, 2022•32 min•Ep. 890
889. Splooting squirrels have taken the internet by storm. We look at where this fun word comes from and how far back it goes. Plus, I help you decide which title capitalization rules to follow. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/whats-up-with-splooting-capitalizing-titles-momilltellya | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GI...
Aug 19, 2022•12 min•Ep. 889
888. This week we take a fascinating look at how highly gendered languages are dealing with the drive to become more inclusive. Plus, we look at the differences between "simple" and "simplistic" and "backward" and "backwards." Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/how-gendered-languages-are-changing-jugopop | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VO...
Aug 12, 2022•15 min•Ep. 888
887. An amazing study shows that tool use and language are connected in the brain and shows how using one can make you better at the other, and vice versa. Plus we look at some tricky possessives. Can you say "a friend of mine's car"? Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/how-using-pliers-improves-your-language The tools and language segment is by Claudio Brozzoli a researcher at INSERM Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, and the Impact team at the Karolinska Institute , and Si...
Aug 05, 2022•16 min•Ep. 887
