Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.
Episodes
When (and How) Should You Cite AI? 'Critters,' 'Varmints,' and Beyond. Choobers.
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
981. Major style guides now have advice on when and how you should cite AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. We look at what you need to i...
Exploring the 'Funnest' Parts of Language with Anne Curzan
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
980. This week, I talk with with Anne Curzan about the fascinating world of language evolution, her new book, "Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide ...
The birth of punctuation: from oral traditions to silent reading. Noun clusters. A wing wang in a mucket.
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
979. In the first segment, we unravel the mysteries surrounding the origins and transformation of punctuation. From the early days when words ran toge...
How to become a supercommunicator, with Charles Duhigg
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
978. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, Charles Duhigg, as we talk about mastering the art of communication and his new bo...
Big changes in Associated Press style. The 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' finale was catawampus. Bappy
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
977. This week, we cover the latest AP Stylebook updates that were just revealed at the ACES conference. From the switch to Merriam-Webster to easing ...
Pet-Speak: From Meowlogisms to Zoomies. 'Imply' or 'Infer'?
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
976. How have our pets influenced the way we use language? This week, we dive into the "cativerse" and explore the vocabulary, grammar, and spelling h...
You love to read. Could you narrate?
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
975. This week, I learned all about audiobook narration from David H. Lawrence XVII, who is launching a new program called "Narrate Your Own Book." If...
Memory, Aging, and the Lingering 'Anyways'
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
974. How does aging affect our ability to understand language? From the challenges of processing complex sentences to the resilience you get from a ri...
A nuclear win at the Oscars. CamelCase. One clo.
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
973. "Oppenheimer" leads us to wonder about the "nucular" pronunciation of "nuclear." And why do people have that second capital letter in the middle ...
From grunts to grammar. The Irish 'after doing.' The winning NGD poem!
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
972. How did humans evolve from grunting ancestors to masters of language and poetry? This week, we explore fascinating theories on the origins of hum...
Where did our language start?
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
971. Linguists have traced modern languages like English and Sanskrit back thousands of years to a single Proto-Indo-European source. This week, we ex...
'Addictive' or 'addicting'? Types of nouns. Folley
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
970. We answer a listener question about the difference between "addictive" and "addicting," and then we look at how to write compound nouns: did you ...
Tracing the origins of Miami's new English. Why it's not a 'gumballs' machine. Embassy Sweets.
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
969. From "wolkenkratzer" in German to "flea market" in English, direct translations called calques show how languages borrow from each other. This we...
Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Your Grammatical Approval. In Love. Foil Lump Surprise.
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
968. This week, I expand on my comments for the New York Times about Taylor Swift's grammatically sound but apostrophe-free new album title: "The Tort...
'A' versus 'an.' 'Larruping' rides again. Euonyms. Flavoring.
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
967. Should you say "a honor" or "an honor"? It's trickier than you think! We explore why articles depend on sounds and regional variations, the diffe...
From 'hwhat' to 'what': Tracing a letter's disappearing act. Barkhouse.
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
966. We explore the rise and fall of the letter H: Debates over its name ("haitch" or "aitch"?) and why a once-prestigious pronunciation like "hwhat" ...
The listener show! (canceled, think, lettuce, funnily, episode numbers, at about, mangos, musgos)
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
965. It's a listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about "canceled," "another think/thing coming," zero plurals such as "fish," the w...
Technology changes how we write. Who was the first Goody Two Shoes?
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
964. From Nietzsche's writing ball to word processors and beyond, we look at how technology can change the way people write. Plus, we unpack the origi...
More than fluff: Understanding 'needless' words. Larruping. Chicken surprise.
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
963. Strunk and White said to omit needless words, but sometimes "redundant" words can serve a meaningful purpose. Plus, we have the story behind larr...
The psychology (and language) of time. Commas are like people on the subway. Fox chores.
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
962. We explore why phrases like "time flies" and "fast approaching" reveal deeper perspectives on time — is it us moving or the event? Plus, you ma...
Why English has silent letters. Dayjamas.
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
960. Some English letters are seen but not heard. In fact, more than half the letters in our alphabet are sometimes silent. We look at the many reason...
A rizzy word-of-the-year chat (with Jess Zafarris)
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
961. Prompting, hallucinating, and more! Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," joins me for a word-of-the-year chat. Hang out with us as we look...
The special sauce of human language. Gotten. NATO alphabet. A1 sauce.
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
959. Learn why human language goes beyond basic communication to allow spontaneous creativity, expression of identity, and leadership in linguistic ch...
What's the difference between Hispanic, Chicano, Latino, Latinx, and Latine? Can something 'grow' smaller? Musko.
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
958. We trace the history, usage, and meaning behind identifiers such as "Hispanic," "Chicano," "Latino," "Latina," "Latinx," and "Latine." Plus, we l...
When does a house become a mansion? Giving someone house.
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
957. We trace the linguistic history behind "house" and "mansion" to uncover how these two humble words for dwellings grew apart, with "mansion" gaini...
From metal type to metaphor: printing terms that extended their reach. The positive 'anymore.' Gigglemare.
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
956. How did terms like "stereotype," "boilerplate," and "typecast" make the leap from specialist printing vocabulary to widespread figurative languag...
Why is Black Friday black? The NATO alphabet. Byeloveyou.
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
955. This week, we're looking at the curious origins and histories behind common idioms and expressions that use "black," like "Black Friday," "blac...
The science of the plot twist. Irregardless. Spug.
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
954. Uh-oh, "irregardless" isn’t going away anytime soon. Take a deep breath while we dig into this hated word’s history, from its first appeara...
Omnishambles! Military slang across the pond (interview with Ben Yagoda)
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
953. In honor of Veterans Day, Ben Yagoda tells us tales of military words that marched from the British lexicon to American English and influence the...
Cliches. Organic. Bully pulpit. Fimfy.
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
951. In honor of National Cliché day, we uncover why some overused phrases rub us the wrong way. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and cl...
The dark histories behind your favorite scary words, with Jess Zafarris
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
951. What's the difference between terror and horror? Why was the word for "bear" so scary that it is lost to history? Jess Zafarris, author of "Words...
Namesake. Commentate. Sprigly
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
950. Nowthen, a town with an odd little name, helps us understand the word "namesake," and then I have some surprising poll results about the much-hat...
How to write great topic sentences. Fanilects. Throwawayable.
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
949. Topic sentences aren't just for students! This week, we have real-life, grown-up examples — and you'll finally understand why that concept your...
When 'nice' was bad and 'bully' was good. Is 'preorder' redundant? High-intensity transformer.
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
948. Think you know where words like "bully," "nice," and "bimbo" come from? Think again! Join me as we explore surprising origins of common words. We...
Think faster and talk smarter. Tips from Matt Abrahams that will make you a better writer and speaker
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
947. Do you wish you could think on your feet faster? Well, Stanford business professor and communication expert Matt Abrahams has insights on having ...
Did Disney nail the pronunciation of 'Caribbean'? How to write equations. Chuther.
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
946. It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, which brings to mind "Pirates of the Caribbean," but you can actually pronounce "Caribbean" at least two different w...
Asking experts about language (interview with Steve Kleinedler, former executive editor of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel)
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
945. What was the famous Usage Panel from the American Heritage Dictionary and how did the panel's opinions influence dictionary entries? Steve Kleine...
When you shouldn't 'write tight.' 'Behead' versus 'decapitate.' YesHony.
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
944. Today, we untangle the often confusing web of writing styles. We'll explore the benefits of loose writing in fiction, creative writing, and acade...
Say hwat?! 'Anxious' versus 'eager.' Pink stein.
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 loo...
The wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English. 'Personal' versus 'personnel.'
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 it...
Hilarious typos (and how to avoid them). Why do we 'take' a walk?
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Have you ridden an acoustic bike lately? Write it tight.
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
940. Pork bacon, manual transmissions, and acoustic guitars: retronyms help us describe the original form of something that has now become a class. Bu...
Did you know that on US Army bases, soldiers get a tattoo every day? Keep writing.
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
People have ~feelings~ about the exclamation point (Florence Hazrat interview)
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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: t...
15 years of podcasting with Money Girl and Nutrition Diva
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Tip...
'Less' versus 'fewer.' Fun names for fingers. Scunscreen.
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
'Inspirational' or 'aspirational'? The surprising dangers of ChatGPT. Spaghetto.
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
936. Have you ever wondered about the nuanced differences between "aspirational" and "inspirational"? Today, we look at a newer, more cynical meaning ...
Phrasal verb mysteries and minced oath origins. Night water.
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Unlocking the mystery of 'ever words' and Latin abbreviations. Juna.
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 the...
Why words can suddenly look unrecognizable. Learn to love the full stop. Marley.
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 sati...
Imagine life as a fiction editor (interview with Amy Schneider, author of the Chicago Guide to Copy Editing Fiction)
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 editi...
Darth Vader and the word 'father.' Comparatives and superlatives. Pritinear.
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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." P...
TV changes how you use language. When to use (and not use) 'more' and 'most'
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 "-...
Why the heck does 'score' mean 20? How we subconsciously know how to pronounce different plurals.
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why English is the best language for Wordle, with Lynne Murphy
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
It's all uphill from here (or is that downhill?). Eating like a pig (animal idioms).
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
What's wrong with 'there are' sentences? 5 fun facts about Spanish for Cinco de Mayo
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 fi...
Have you begged the question lately? What kind of learning is best: online, remote, distance, or virtual?
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What we get wrong about 'um' and 'uh,' with Valerie Fridland
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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-mas...
5 things every writer wants to learn, with Roy Peter Clark
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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: ht...
Killer bunnies in medieval manuscripts. The strange rules of 'dozen.'
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Rosetta Stone and taxes. Is your sufficiency suffonsified?
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 suffo...
Why we have both 'a' and 'an.' What does it mean to be lonely? Sufficiency.
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 so...
How 'napron' became 'apron' (and what that has to do with newts). 'Ahold' or 'a hold'?
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 surpris...
Why do people 'drop' a new single? How to pronounce 'often.'
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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)...
How to actually improve your grammar. Why parallelism is important (and how to use it). Keycoos.
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 im...
How writing very short stories can improve all your writing (with Grant Faulkner)
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Language reveals universal truths about love. 'Wool sweater' or 'woolen sweater'? Grandmother crackers.
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Interview with a creator of 'Schoolhouse Rock'!
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
914. To mark the 50th anniversary of "Schoolhouse Rock," the Saturday morning cartoon that taught millions of children about grammar, math, and more, ...
What Does the AP Have Against France? Out Over Your Skis. Lands' End. Tolater.
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ski...
Teddy Bears. The Brothers Grimm. Danger Cluck.
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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.| T...
Weird punctuation with 'Jr.' Carl's Jr. Hockey.
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Inflation, quiet quitting, and "un-" words, like "undressed," that can have two meanings. Gotcha Day.
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How COVID Changed the Way We Think About Words. How to Write Dates. Prefeed.
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
World Cup Words. The Origin of Toasting. Says.
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 (...
Goblin Mode, Woman, & More. Words of the Year, with Kory Stamper
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Wonderful Words of Christmas
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
906. A'wassailing. Noel. Mistletoe. Trolling the ancient Yuletide carol, and more. We look into the wonderful words of Christmas and their origins —...
We found the book!
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
What's a Honeyfuggler? 'Through' vs. 'Throughout.' Arriversary.
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
903. "Through" and "throughout" may seem interchangeable, but they're not. We have some creative memory tricks to help you remember the difference. ...
A Strange Use of 'Said.' Kith and Kin. New Scrabble Words!
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why Today's 'Thank You' Is Different from an Ancient 'Thank You.' Gerunds.
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 fasci...
WWII Words. A 'bit' of an Issue. Kleenex.
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Medieval Origins of the @ Symbol. Hyphens in Dual-Heritage Terms. Pitch.
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 inventi...
The Difference Between Magic and Magick. Some Fascinating Spooky Words. Holy Fagachi!
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Randall Munroe of xkcd: Language Chat and Weird Bee Laws.
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
The Subconscious Rules of Conversation. The Double-Word Problem. Cookie Fish.
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Wick-ED Fun Pronunciations. Deviled Eggs.
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
When Is a Man a Widow? Where Do We Get the Word 'Blurb'? Sci-Fi Versus Fantasy. Bert and Ernie.
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Mood & Atmosphere in Fiction. An Interview with Joshua Essoe
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Split Infinitives. I Can't Even. Macken.
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 phrase...
Why Some People Say 'Might Could.' The Spanish Influence on English. Mickle Story.
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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!...
Accent Hallucination. False Ranges. Thanks, Chris.
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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:/...
'Skrrt,' 'Bottle Episode,' 'Skeuomorphs' and more. An Interview with John Kelly of Dictionary.com.
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What's up with Splooting? Capitalizing Titles. Momilltellya.
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How Gendered Languages Are Changing. Jugopop.
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 d...
How Using Pliers Improves Your Language. Weird Possessives. Ducky File.
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 v...
A Riotous Good Time with Ellen Jovin of the Grammar Table
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ripe. Lede. Prevent. Awesome. Fulsome. MacGuffin. Daisy.
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
885. It's time for our quarterly listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about the words "ripe," "lede," "prevent," "awesome," and "fu...
Why Nobody Says 'You're Welcome' Anymore. Whose. Chimichanga.
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 wheth...
Code-Switching. Mignon Snaps Over Numbers. Foomp.
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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-...