Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

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Five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing and feed your love of the English language. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast.

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Episodes

'I.e' versus 'e.g.' What Shakespeare actually added to English. Four schnitzels.

1075. People often confuse "i.e." and "e.g." We'll help you get them right — no Latin required. Then, in honor of Shakespeare’s birthday, we look at five common myths about his contributions to the English language, including whether he coined thousands of words and how much Latin he actually knew. The "Shakespeare" segment was by Jonathan Culpeper , a chair professor in English Language and Linguistics at Lancaster University, and Mathew Gillings , an assistant professor at the Vienna Universit...

Apr 22, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1075

AI and the future of dictionaries, with Erin McKean

1074. Is AI good enough to replace lexicographers? Wordnik founder Erin McKean shares what works, what doesn’t, and why the future of dictionaries is far from settled. Find Erin McKean at wordnik.com , dressaday.com , and [email protected]. 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter . 🔗 Take our advertising survey . 🔗 Get the edited transcript . 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books . 🔗 Join Grammarpalooza . Get ad...

Apr 17, 2025•26 min•Ep. 1074

Better paragraph breaks. The story behind 'mad money' and 'pin money.' Bruce bad.

1073. Today, we have practical tips for writing better paragraphs (and it's not the formulaic topic-sentence structure). Then, we look at the surprising history of phrases like “mad money” and “pin money” and what they show about women’s roles and financial independence through time. The "paragraph" segment originally appeared on the OUP Blog , and was written by Edwin Battistella, who taught linguistics and writing at Southern Oregon University. He is the author of Sorry About That: The Languag...

Apr 15, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1073

The future of editing jobs in the age of AI, with Samantha Enslen

1072. Is AI coming for our jobs—or just the boring parts? This week, Samantha Enslen of Dragonfly Editorial talks about how she sees AI changing the work of writers and editors. We talked about real clients, real fears, and hope for the future. Plus, Samantha shares her favorite old-school fiction (spoiler: Agatha Christie strikes again!). Find Samantha Enslen at DragonflyEditorial.com . 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗 Subsc...

Apr 10, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1072

How to write photo captions. The real difference between ‘immigrate’ and ‘emigrate.’ Ko Pha-ngan'd

1071. Is it "Taylor and I" or "Taylor and me"? We explain why photo captions follow their own grammar rules. Then, we explore the subtle difference between "immigrate" and "emigrate," how the terms are used historically, and why their meanings often depend on perspective. The "photo captions" segment is by Karen Lunde, a former Quick & Dirty Tips editor and digital pioneer who's been spinning words into gold since before cat videos ruled the internet. She created one of the first online writing ...

Apr 08, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1071

The hidden techniques behind well-paced fiction, with Joshua Essoe

1070. Fiction editor Joshua Essoe explains the hidden techniques behind pacing in storytelling. Learn how good pacing shapes reader engagement, why well-placed story beats and emotional shifts matter, and how popular films like Memento and Fight Club use pacing to captivate audiences. Joshua also looks at managing flashbacks, using white space strategically, and avoiding common pacing pitfalls in fiction writing. Joshua's "Pacing and Cutting" Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jos...

Apr 03, 2025•26 min•Ep. 1070

Why don't we say the L in 'walk'? Never use 'always.' PABST

1069. Have you ever wondered why we have silent L's in words like "walk" and "half"? Those questions lead us to L-vocalization, spelling pronunciation, and why American and British speakers differ. Plus, we look at some of the most dangerous words in the English language: "always" and "never." The "L vocalization" segment is by Karen Lunde, a former Quick & Dirty Tips editor and digital pioneer who's been spinning words into gold since before cat videos ruled the internet. She created one of the...

Apr 01, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1069

Exploring slang, AI ghost words, and language change, with Heddwen Newton

1068. Did Yosemite Sam ever actually say "tarnation"? What’s "fridgescaping," and why is it trending? And why is AI filling the internet with nonsense words like “lrtsjerk”? Linguist and translator Heddwen Newton shares her favorite new slang, explains the Mandela Effect, and breaks down how AI-generated content is making language even messier. Find Heddwen Newton at her newsletter, English in Progress . 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing c...

Mar 27, 2025•31 min•Ep. 1068

What’s wrong with "'til"? Why tiny words control conversations. How many cookies?

1067. Think "'til" is a valid alternative to "until"? Think again! We learn about the difference between "till" and "until" and why many style guides frown on "'til." Then, we uncover the hidden power of interjections—words like "um," "huh," and "mm-hmm"—and how they help us negotiate meaning, keep conversations flowing, and even challenge artificial intelligence. The "interjections" segment was written by Bob Holmes, a science writer living in Edmonton, Canada and who until recently, had no ide...

Mar 25, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1067

The best punctuation book, period, with June Casagrande

1066. Do you really need that comma? Should your dashes have spaces? Is there ever just one "right" way to punctuate? June Casagrande, author of "The Best Punctuation Book, Period," busts punctuation myths, compares style guides, and looks at the surprising complexity of the humble em dash. Find June Casagrande at grammarunderground.com . 🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat. 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter . 🔗 Take our advertising s...

Mar 20, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1066