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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 886. The delightful Ellen Jovin of the Grammar Table (you may have seen her sitting on the street answering grammar questions in your city) joined me to talk about her new book, "Rebel with a Clause," what possessed her to set up the Grammar Table in the first place, why Twitter is vastly better than Facebook for doing language polls, and more. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ellen-jovin-of-the-grammar-table | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my ...
Jul 29, 2022•28 min•Ep 886•Transcript available on Metacast 885. It's time for our quarterly listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about the words "ripe," "lede," "prevent," "awesome," and "fulsome" and share some knowledge about MacGuffins and the drink known as a daisy. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ripe-lede-prevent-awesome-fulsome-macguffin-daisy | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fo...
Jul 22, 2022•13 min•Ep 885•Transcript available on Metacast 884. People often ask why people say "no worries" or "no problem" instead of "you're welcome," and we actually found an answer! Also, we look at whether it's OK to use "whose" for inanimate objects in a sentence such as "The chair whose legs are broken." Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/why-nobody-says-youre-welcome-anymore-whose-chimichanga | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar ...
Jul 15, 2022•17 min•Ep 884•Transcript available on Metacast 883. The numbers sections of style books finally pushed me over the edge, and I have some stories you won't believe! We also talk about how cool code-switching is. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/code-switching-mignon-snaps-over-numbers-foomp | 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) | Grammar Girl is part ...
Jul 08, 2022•20 min•Ep 883•Transcript available on Metacast 882. For Independence Day, we look at the word "freedom" and the surprising words that came from the same roots. Plus, we look at odd sentences with double subjects and when you should (and shouldn't) use them. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/surprising-words-related-to-freedom-double-subjects-foop | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. | Peeve Wars card game . | Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICE...
Jul 01, 2022•14 min•Ep 882•Transcript available on Metacast 881. What's up with the fancy-schmancy "ahnt" pronunciation of the word "aunt"? And why are the rules about capitalizing cocktail names so wonky? We have all the answers today! Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ant-or-ahnt-capitalizing-cocktail-names-archie-bunker References for the "ahnt" segment by Valerie Fridland : Phillips, Betty. (1989). The Diffusion of a Borrowed Sound Change. Journal of English Linguistics , 22 (2), 197–204. Freeborn, Dennis. (1992). From old Engl...
Jun 24, 2022•15 min•Ep 881•Transcript available on Metacast 880. "Father" as a word shows how we humans love to extend our metaphors. Did you know it was only relatively recently that priests were referred to as "father," for example? And then, for the 50th anniversary of the Watergate scandal, we look at the "-gate" suffix and what made it so successful that it has spread all over the world (even to non-English-speaking countries). Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/the-many-meanings-of-father-how-watergate-changed-english | Subscr...
Jun 17, 2022•20 min•Ep 880•Transcript available on Metacast 879. Are people from Liverpool really called "Liverpudlians"? Where does the name "Tar Heel" come from? We have the answers to some of the most interesting questions about demonyms: the names for people from specific places. Also, has anyone ever criticized you for using the word "healthy" instead of "healthful"? We explain why that happens. And finally, we've solved the mystery of "sussies." Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/demonyms-why-people-from-north-carolina-are-cal...
Jun 10, 2022•20 min•Ep 879•Transcript available on Metacast 878. This week, we look at what makes wisdom teeth so smart, how to properly write the name of your degree, and what's up with the "sussies" familect? Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/are-wisdom-teeth-smart-capitalizing-degree-names-sussies-2 | 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) | Grammar Girl is part o...
Jun 03, 2022•15 min•Ep 878•Transcript available on Metacast 877. In an age when eels were sometimes used as currency and castles pierced the sky, “thou” was all the rage. But over time, it disappeared from use. Where did it go? And will it ever make a comeback? This week, we're sharing an episode of Curious State, a brand new podcast from Quick and Dirty Tips. Listen and subscribe to Curious State on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , or wherever you're listening to Grammar Girl. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/whatever-happen...
May 27, 2022•15 min•Ep 877•Transcript available on Metacast 876. You'll never view spellers in the bee asking questions the same way again after you learn about the schwa from Brian Sietsema, an associate pronouncer for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes | 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) | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and...
May 20, 2022•17 min•Ep 876•Transcript available on Metacast 
