945. What was the famous Usage Panel from the American Heritage Dictionary and how did the panel's opinions influence dictionary entries? Steve Kleinedler, who managed the Usage Panel for many years, joins us this week with all kinds of fascinating inside-the-dictionary stories. David Skinner article about the history of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel David Skinner's book "The Story of Ain't" American Heritage Dictionary Old Tumblr Steve Kleinedler's book "Is English Changing?" Ste...
Sep 12, 2023•33 min•Ep. 945
944. Today, we untangle the often confusing web of writing styles. We'll explore the benefits of loose writing in fiction, creative writing, and academic writing, and how you can vary your sentence length to create a rhythm that resonates with your readers. Plus, we use the difference between "behead" and "decapitate" as a sneaky way to talk about the "be-" and "de-" prefixes in a way every word nerd will love. The "tight writing" segment was written by Susan Herman , a retired U.S. government m...
Sep 05, 2023•17 min•Ep. 944
943. Join us for a fascinating romp through the evolution of phrases like "you know," "right?" and "I mean" from Beowulf's time to today. Plus, we look at how people's feelings about using "anxious" to mean "eager" are changing, and how that can affect your writing. The discourse marker segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of " Like Literally, Dude : Arguing for the Good in Bad English." You can find her at valerie...
Aug 29, 2023•14 min•Ep. 943
942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its transformative role in Greek that gifts English words like "atypical" and "asymmetrical." You'll be wowed by the versatility of the seemingly humble "a-" prefix as we unveil its covert presence in words like "atom" and its power in creating modern English words like "asexual." Then, we explore the differ...
Aug 22, 2023•19 min•Ep. 942
941. Whether you've been betrayed by autocorrect or your own fingers, almost everyone has made embarrassing typos. Even the Bible isn't immune: typos led to an old version called the "Sinners Bible"! We have more hilarious examples and, better yet, some tips to help you catch those terrible typos in the future.. Plus, we explore the fascinating world of "light verb" and why we say we "take" a walk and "give" a presentation, even though we aren't really taking or giving anything. The light verbs ...
Aug 15, 2023•17 min•Ep. 941
940. Pork bacon, manual transmissions, and acoustic guitars: retronyms help us describe the original form of something that has now become a class. But sometimes, retronyms go even further. This week, we discover surprising ways "acoustic" is filling this role. Plus, learn what makes your writing "tight." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/acoustic/transcript | The "tight writing" segment was written by Susan Herman , a retired U.S. government multidisciplined language an...
Aug 08, 2023•18 min•Ep. 940
939. When I say the word "tattoo," you probably think of body art, but "tattoo" has another meaning that's related to a famous Edinburgh festival that is happening this month. Plus, we look at why you should never stop writing (and reading).ding). The "tattoo" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com . The "aging and writing" segment was written by Roger J. Kreuz, associate dean in the College of Arts & Sciences at the Unive...
Aug 01, 2023•13 min•Ep. 939
938. Love it or hate it, the exclamation point has been on the red carpet lately because we're using it more. But it also has a fascinating history: the man who invented it was trying to fix a problem that annoyed him. This interview with Florence Hazrat is bursting with fascinating tidbits. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/exclamation-point/transcript | Get Florence Hazrat's book " An Admirable Point " and visit her website . | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular u...
Jul 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 938
In this special bonus episode, I sat down with Laura Adams and Monica Reinagel, who host Money Girl and Nutrition Diva here on the Quick and Dirty Tips network, to celebrate their 15th anniversaries and discuss how much podcasting has changed in this decade and a half. Thanks to Laura and Monica for joining me — and if you're new to Quick and Dirty Tips, make sure you check out Money Girl and Nutrition Diva for the best financial and nutrition advice in audio! Transcript Newsletter LinkedIn Lear...
Jul 21, 2023•34 min
937. Today, we explore the traditional advice of using "fewer" for things you can count and "less" for things you can't, but you'll also learn about the idea of using "less" for singular nouns and "fewer" for plural nouns and how that solves the problem of common exceptions such as time, money, and distance. You'll also learn how to handle the controversial phrases "one less" and "10 items or less." And have you ever wondered why our thumb is called a thumb? Or why the "rule of thumb" is so cont...
Jul 18, 2023•17 min•Ep. 937
936. Have you ever wondered about the nuanced differences between "aspirational" and "inspirational"? Today, we look at a newer, more cynical meaning of "aspirational." Plus, you've probably heard all about the promise of ChatGPT. Well, we dig into stories of people who were trying to save time, but got in trouble instead. The ChatGPT segment was written by freelance writer Brenda Thomas, who has also worked as an online educator and instructional designer of online courses. | Transcript: https:...
Jul 11, 2023•18 min•Ep. 936
935. Ever been puzzled by the difference between "slow down" and "slow up"? Curious about how they can possibly mean the same thing (or do they)? We answer a burning listener question about why prepositions can be so darn tricky in English. Join us also as we delve into the fascinating world of minced oaths, examining intriguing words like "zounds" and "gadzooks." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/slow-up-slow-down/transcript The "slow down" segment was written by Susan ...
Jul 04, 2023•17 min•Ep. 935
934. Ever wondered why "whyever" isn't as popular as "wherever," "however," or "whenever"? Join me as we delve into the world of "-ever" words and their curious usage. We explore the relationship between words like "forever" and "never," and reveal how the "-ever" suffix can intensify meaning. Plus, find out why watching British TV might lead you to use "whyever." But that's not all. This week, we tackle a burning listener question: how do you pronounce Latin abbreviations like "et al."? Should ...
Jun 27, 2023•13 min•Ep. 934
933. Have you ever looked at a word and it didn't seem like a real word anymore? It's a specific thing that happens in your brain called semantic satiation, and we have the fascinating ins and outs. Plus, we extol the merits of the full stop. The full stop segment was by Joe Moran , a professor of English and Cultural History, Liverpool John Moores University. It originally appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simple...
Jun 20, 2023•17 min•Ep. 933
932. When I saw Amy Schneider's new book, The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction , I realized that I have never seen a book that specializes in editing just for fiction, and immediately saw that it fills a need. And upon reading it, I realized how well it filled that need, and I knew I had to talk with her. If you've ever thought it would be fun to be a fiction editor, you'll love this interview. Amy Schneider is a copy editor who specializes in fiction, has been copy editing for twenty-eight ...
Jun 13, 2023•30 min•Ep. 932
931. Darth Vader wasn't the best father (understatement!), but his name is a wonderful jumping off point to discuss the origin of the word "father." Plus, we explain why I said he wasn't the "best" father and not that he wasn't the "better" father. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/darth-vader-and-the-word-father/transcript | The "father" segment was written by Valerie Fridland. It is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original a...
Jun 06, 2023•18 min•Ep. 931
930. How YOU doin? Today we’re going to MacGyver up some fun memories and tips. And then we'll look at the rules about using "more" and "most" or "-er" and "-est." It'll be a yowlie howlie good time! | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/tv-language/transcript | The "TV language" segment was written by Susan K. Herman, a retired U.S. Government multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and language instructor. | The "more or most" segment was written by Bonnie Mill...
May 30, 2023•16 min•Ep. 930
929. While we were looking into why we use the word "score" to mean "twenty," our minds were blown by how many languages still have remnants of a base-20 counting system. And then we learned the secret rules that explain why some plurals end with an "s" sound and others end with a "z" sound. It was quite a week! | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/score-dogz/transcript | The "score" segment was written by Susan K. Herman, a retired U.S. Government multidisciplined language...
May 23, 2023•18 min•Ep. 929
928. Listen to the interview that got me playing Wordle again. Lynne Murphy shared all sorts of things you probably didn't know about this game! Lynne Murphy is professor of linguistics at the University of Sussex in England, the author of the book " The Prodigal Tongue ," and the writer of the long-running Separated by a Common Language blog. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/wordle/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learn...
May 16, 2023•25 min•Ep. 928
927. Whether you're a bird brain or a wise old owl, you'll love this week's episode as we fight an uphill battle to understand a language filled with metaphors. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/uphill-animals/transcript | The "Uphill/Downhill" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, an award-winning writer who runs the writing and editing agency Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com . | The "Animal Idioms" segment was written by Valerie Fridlan...
May 09, 2023•15 min•Ep. 927
926. You may remember being told not to start sentences with "there are," but do you know why? We have the answer! Plus, for Cinco de Mayo, we have five fun facts about Spanish. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/expletives-spanish/transcript | The "Five Fun Facts About Spanish" segment was written by Susan Herman, a former linguist, analytic editor, and language instructor for the U.S. Government. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Le...
May 02, 2023•18 min•Ep. 926
925. The existence of the manchineel tree does NOT beg the question of how many different ways a tree can actually hurt you. But it does show that you can't always use taste to tell whether something is safe to eat. Plus, Online, Remote, Distance, and Virtual. What Kind of Learning Do You Like? | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/begs-the-question/transcript | The "Online, Remote, Distance, and Virtual Learning" segment was written by Brenda Thomas, who has also worked as ...
Apr 25, 2023•19 min•Ep. 925
924. What if I told you that you actually should use "uh" and "um" when you're giving a talk? And what if I told you "dude" was originally an anti-masculine word? Those are just some of the surprising insights from Valerie Fridland's new book, "Like, Literally, Dude." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/valerie-fridland/transcript | Get Valerie's book, "Like, Literally, Dude." | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses....
Apr 18, 2023•32 min•Ep. 924
923. America's writing coach, Roy Peter Clark, shares his wisdom about the five things every writer he's ever taught wants to learn. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/roy-peter-clark/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 the Quick a...
Apr 11, 2023•34 min•Ep. 923
922. "A dozen of eggs" sounds weird, but why? Rabbits performing violent acts are a common scene in medieval marginalia. But why are they there? Turns out—Monty Python was on to something! | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/dozen-bunnies/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....
Apr 04, 2023•22 min•Ep. 922
921. Taxes, and the words for them, go back all the way to ancient Egypt. Plus, I have much more to tell you about the phrase "I am sufficiently suffoncified"! It's an especially fun week on the Grammar Girl podcast. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/taxes-suffonsified/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | WRITER: Mignon Fogarty ...
Mar 28, 2023•14 min•Ep. 921
920. Once you start thinking about it, it's weird that we have both "a" and "an." It gets even weirder from there! Plus, modern loneliness, and its solutions, are quite different from what they were when the word was first coined. We look at the history of this formerly rare word. The segment on "a" versus "an" was written by Neal Whitman, an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board. You can search for him by name...
Mar 21, 2023•17 min•Ep. 920
919. Rebracketing is a fascinating process that gives us more words than you might imagine, even words from French and Spanish! Also, I find a surprising answer to the question of which is correct: "ahold" or "a hold." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/napron-ahold/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | WRITER: Mignon Fogarty | VO...
Mar 14, 2023•13 min•Ep. 919
918. Since "drop" can mean both "to release" and "to cancel," it can get confusing. We look at how this confusion came to be (and how to avoid it). Plus, we wade into the debate about whether there's a right or a wrong way to pronounce "often." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/drop-often/transcript The "often" segment was written by Edwin Battistella and originally appeared on the OUP Blog. Read the original here . | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | W...
Mar 07, 2023•13 min•Ep. 918
917. For National Grammar Day, we answer one of the most common questions I get: How can I improve my grammar? Plus, I explain why parallelism is important, especially in resume writing. "How to improve you grammar" was written by Susan Herman , a retired U.S. government analytic editor, language analyst, and language instructor. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/improve-your-grammar/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learn...
Feb 28, 2023•18 min•Ep. 917
