Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

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-...

Surprising Words Related to 'Freedom.' Double Subjects. Foop.

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

'Ant' or 'Ahnt'? Capitalizing Cocktail Names. Archie Bunker.

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Many Meanings of 'Father.' How Watergate Changed English. Punim

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Demonyms: Why People from North Carolina Are Called Tar Heels. 'Healthy' Versus 'Healthful.' Sussies 3!

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 intere...

Are Wisdom Teeth Smart? Capitalizing Degree Names. Sussies 2

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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?...

Whatever Happened to "Thou"?

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How Spellers Tackle the 'Dreaded Schwa'

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 prono...

Why "'Em" Isn't Short for "Them." The Subjunctive. Sussies.

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

875. When you say "Go get 'em!" you think that's short for "Go get them," but you're wrong! We look at the fascinating history of some English pronoun...

Tomi Adeyemi: The Writing Life and Her New Writing Course.

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

874. With her book "Children of Blood and Bone" spending 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, Tomi Adeyemi knows what it takes to write a ...

Scissors, Jeans, and Other Nouns That Are Always Plural. Flat Adverbs. Boteep.

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

873. Today, we'll talk about some weird nouns that are always plural, and then we'll go two-dimensional and talk about flat adverbs.| Subscribe to the...

If Earth Looks Like a Blue Marble, Why Is Earth Day Associated with the Color Green? Also, 'Funnest.'

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

872. The famous NASA "blue marble" image could have influenced people to make blue the color of environmentalism and Earth Day, but green won the day....

You Know. Doppelganger. Trademarks. Funnily. Chicken Milk.

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

871. It's "listener question extravaganza" time, so I have some quick hits on discourse markers such as "you know," where we get the word "doppelgange...

I Cannot Tell a Lie (but I Can Mislead)! And Sometimes People Do It With Percentages.

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

870. We look at the linguistic difference between lying and misleading, and then because people often lie with numbers, we look at the difference betw...

How Aphasia Causes Difficulty Speaking. Chairdrobe.

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

869. Prodded by Bruce Willis's family's announcement that he is leaving acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, we revisited language disorders, an...

Why Tired People Talk About Being 'Out of Spoons.' Why Nouns Are More Complicated Than You May Think.

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A few months ago, I started to notice people talking about spoons in a weird way, so I investigated and found that people are using an interesting con...

Barracking, Sheilas and Shouts: How the Irish Influenced Australian English

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Barracking," "sheilas" and "shouts": How the Irish influenced Australian English. Plus, what makes "NASA" different from "FBI." | Subscribe to the ne...

The Oxford Comma. And Should You Start a Sentence with 'And'?

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered why it's called the "Oxford comma"? We have the answer to that and many more questions you may have about this controversial pu...

Is 'Materiel' Just a Fancy Pronunciation of 'Material'? Are Binomials the Same Across Languages?

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A listener wondered about the word "materiel." What's its deal (and is it related to "personnel")? Plus, "pepper and salt." "Groom and bride." "White ...

Why Do We Cringe at 'Pepper and Salt'? Why 'Square' Is Uncool. Quickquish.

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Sticks and stones." "Bride and groom." "Heads or tails." Some word pairs almost always appear in a specific order, and linguists have been investigat...

What's Square About a Square Meal? How to Use Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces. Guck.

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The idea of a square meal goes back to the 1800s and possibly mining towns, but the word "square" itself has a longer history. Plus, admit it! You don...

Are People Using 'Commiserate' Wrong? The Origin of (the Word) 'Influenza.' Hersband.

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How the "Witch of Wall Street" relates to the word "commiserate." Plus, the interesting origin of "influenza" and other disease names. | Subscribe to ...

Do You Call In, Out, or Off Sick? How Kids Learn Language. Hexaboobiated.

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

People often tell me they hear others say they'll be absent from work in a different way than they're used to hearing, so I looked into who says what ...

Tips for Learning a New Language: The Fluent Show

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kerstin Cable, host of "The Fluent Show" shares her tips and enthusiasm for learning new languages. We talked about what to do if you're stalled learn...

Why 'Tiny' Sounds Smaller Than 'Huge.' Nixing the Horrid 'Of.' Kokopelli.

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The sounds of certain words make us think of things that are big or small, round or spiky, and the tendency is nearly universal. For example, people c...

'Strollout,' 'Insurrection,' 'Yassify,' and Other Words of the Year for 2021

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Strollout," "insurrection," "yassify," "hard pants" and other words of the year for 2021. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. |Watch m...

Cardsharp. The Old-New Singular 'They.' Grignug.

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Was that uncle who wiped the floor with you in a card game a cardsharp or a card shark? Also, we look at what it is about using "they" as a singular p...

Questions, Questions, So Many Questions!

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I have a big metaphorical pile of questions from listeners in which the answers are too short to be a whole podcast segment, so today, I'm going to s...

Is "Milk and Cookies" One Thing or Two? A New Language Term: The Santaback. Shoedabakers.

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we use milk and cookies for Santa to figure out when compound subjects are singular or plural. We also invent a new language term: santaback. We...

How Lori Rader-Day Wrote a Historical Novel About War Evacuees in Agatha Christie's Vacation Home

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Accomplished mystery writer Lori Rader-Day was drawn to the story of children who were evacuated to Agatha Christie's vacation home during WWII, but h...

Pretending to Be British. How to Use Ellipses. Spiders.

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

|HOST: Mignon Fogarty |VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) |Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. |Theme music by Cathe...

Shibboleth. Greeting Card Grammar. Bunkaree.

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Does your group use shibboleths? Plus, I'll help you avoid common embarrassing greeting card mistakes. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updat...

How to Use a Semicolon, Amirite? Partu.

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amirite? You have the tickets, don't you? Today we talk about those tiny questions at the end of sentences, what purpose they serve, and who is most l...

Penultimate. Veni, Vidi, Vici. Smidge.

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's podcast, we discuss why you should never call your girlfriend your penultimate friend. Plus, we have fun and fascinating facts about Ca...

New Words from WWII. How Places Like Featherstonehaugh Get Their Names. Uncoming.

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WWII was a rich source of new words for the English language. Before the 1940s, you couldn't tell an eager beaver to shut his pie hole while you were ...

Editing an Anthology: 'Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed'

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I talked with Saraciea Fennell, who works in publishing, is behind the Bronx Book Festival, and is also the editor of a new anthology, "Wild To...

Is That a Tombstone, Gravestone, or Headstone? Why Is the Sound of a Human Scream So Terrifying?

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The words tombstone and gravestone used to refer to large stone slabs that served as a lid for a tomb or covering for a grave. Also, the human scream ...

Using Present Tense in a Story About the Past. Beck and Call. Tie-Dye Trees.

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you noticed people switching to the present tense when they're telling stories? It actually has a name: It's called the "historical present tense...

Surprise! These Names Are Trademarks. How to Write 'Dos and Don'ts' (or Is That 'Do's and Don'ts'?). Wording Your Mixes.

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many words we use every day are actually trademarks. Did you know about all the words we talked about today? Plus, we talk about some really weird spe...

The Hedonometer and Your Feelings. What Does 'Schnozz' Mean?

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers and companies are harnessing computers to identify the emotions behind our written words. While sentiment analysis is far from perfect, it...

How Do You Pronounce 'Tomato'? Why Is 'Chiropractic' Singular. Fish.

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of great debates, there is one that has been long enduring and still keeps language prescriptivists awake at night: Is it "tom-ay-to" or ...

The Power of Very Specific Words, with Joel Schwartzberg

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The author of "The Language of Leadership," Joel Schwartzberg, explains how you can make small tweaks to your language to make a big difference in you...

How to Really Talk Like a Pirate. When Do You Need a Comma Before 'Because'?

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Based on the history of who was sailing the high seas, it's a good bet pirates sounded a lot more multicultural than Ol’ Long John Silver would have...

Why and When 'Very Unique' Is Wrong. Capitalizing 'Delta Variant' (or Not). Happy to You.

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Instead of grinding your teeth about "very unique," pat yourself on the back for recognizing a widespread case of lexical broadening. Plus, we talk ab...

Naked Idioms. Short-Lived. Capitalizing Earth. Hector Protector.

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We naked apes have been making up sayings with the word "naked" for a long time. Plus, we talk about how to pronounce "short-lived" and when to capita...

The Origin of 'Honeymoon.' 'Where' Versus 'In Which.' Fevesteter.

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does getting married have to do with honey and the moon? What is tricky about the word "where"? Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. ...

Weird Words for Alcohol. Starting a Sentence with 'However.' Fam-ished.

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does "Dutch courage" mean? And 10 other weird words for alcohol. Plus, the special thing you have to pay attention to when you start a sentence w...

How Storytelling Makes a Difference (and How to Do It Well)

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As much as we'd like to believe that people are convinced by facts, years of cognitive research show that we are convinced by stories and emotions (an...

What's the Opposite of Deja Vu? Commas Between Adjectives

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know about deja vu, but do you know about jemais vu, presque vu, deja lu, deja entendu, and deja reve? Plus, we help you figure out when to put co...

The Best Stories from 15 Years of Grammar Girl

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We've gone through a lot of stories and tips in 15 years—more than a thousand. Today, I picked a few of my favorites for you. To sign up for my Adva...

What the Two Spellings of Stationary/ery Have to Do with Booksellers. Why Pronunciations Change.

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Stationary" and "stationery" have the same ultimate origin, but they evolved to have different meanings and one became tied to paper goods. Also, a r...

'Fish' or 'Fishes'? Why Do We Call Out 'Nothing' as 'Bupkis'?

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Fish" really does have two plurals. Usually you want "fish," but we talk about the odd examples when "fishes" is the right choice. Plus, "bupkis" can...

'If' Versus 'Whether.' Why We Say 'The Exception That Proves the Rule.'

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"If" and "whether" are often interchangeable, but sometimes using one or the other will change the meaning of your sentence. And if you've ever wonder...

Trundle, Amble, Roam, and Shamble. How Some Preposition Use Has Changed Over Time.

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We look at the surprising origins of some of our favorite words for walking. Plus, how do you know when to write "The car almost ran me over" versus "...

Pedantic Nonsense Up with Which I Will Not Put! 'Discreet' or 'Discrete'?

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Grammar ...

Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction: Right or Wrong? Good 'Subpar' and Bad 'Subpar.'

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many people have been taught that it's wrong to start a sentence with a conjunction, but nearly all major style guides say doing so is fine. Neal Whit...

How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Grumple.

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the ...

What Made 'Friends' Funny. How Cicadas Got Their Name. Dog Replacer.

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You laughed and laughed while watching "Friends." One reason it was funny is that the writers took what you expect from a conversation and flipped it ...

Is 'Graduated College' Wrong? Five Wonderful Latin Phrases.

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I'm hearing "graduated college" much more often. Is it still wrong? Plus, five bona fide Latin phrases you can use to describe something wonderful. Su...

'Bring,' 'Take,' and 'Carry.' 'The Queen's Gambit.' Sweepy Thing.

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We go through the simple rules for "bring" and "take," but then talk about the fun exceptions and dialect forms. Plus, how "The Queen's Gambit" can he...

Writing Dialogue. 'Associate Degree' or 'Associate's Degree'? Wiffy.

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is that dialogue feeling off? We're here to help! Plus, how to write about degrees this graduation season. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular upd...

'Ketchup' or 'Catsup'? How to Punctuate Questions. Gmoing Gmoing.

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you seen the tomato sauce spelled two different ways? "Ketchup" is the better spelling, but the history of the word is pretty interesting. We als...

What Does ‘Op-Ed’ Really Mean? The Perfect Paragraph Length. Items.

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Op-ed" may not mean what you think it means. Then we discuss how long a paragraph should be. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch ...

The Intrusive "Of." What Makes English Weird.

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about the difference between "a prince of a fellow" and "not too good of a time," and then we look at two things that make English especially ...

How to Write Faster. The Origin of the Odd Letter W

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

12 practical tips and tools that will help you write faster in the time you already have. Also, we explore why we call a letter that looks like two V'...

'Borrow' and 'Lend.' When to Use 'Nor.' Boncho.

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We use a children's book and a Shakespeare play to talk about "borrow" and "lend," and then we help with the complexities of using "neither" and "nor....

Squirrelly Animal Verbs. 'People,' 'Peoples,' and 'Persons': Why It Matters.

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

8.17 To hog, to ram, to bird dog. We run through a fun list of animal-inspired verbs. Plus, amazingly, it wasn't that long ago that usage experts reco...

A vast number of words have surprising origins. We talked about some today, including "scientist," "impressionist," "beatnik," and "paradigm."

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A vast number of words have surprising origins. We talked about some today with author Ralph Keyes, including "scientist," "impressionist," "beatnik,"...

'Normalcy' or 'Normality'? A Punctuation Question from a Famous Movie Line. Taco Cats.

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that in the book "Gone with the Wind," Rhett Butler said "My dear..." instead of "Frankly, my dear..."? Also, are we getting back to norm...

It's Not Just March. Other Months Have 'Ides' Too! Are You on the Pig's Back Today?

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Instead of bewaring the ides of March, I'm going to beware engaging with the Roman calendar. What a fascinating mess! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, w...

813 - The History of National Grammar Day. My Favorite Resources. Anniversity

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered WHY we celebrate National Grammar Day? Who started this thing anyway? And if you want to do your own grammar research, I'll hel...

812 - Kibosh. Sidekicks. Misolation.

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The origin of "kibosh" is a long-standing mystery in the English language. Yiddish? A whip? Clog-makers tools? We investigate. Also, sidekicks play in...

811 - Inigo Montoya and Coining Phrases. 'Dose' or 'Dosage'?

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Coin a phrase? It does not mean what you think it means. And get your dose (or dosage?) right. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch...

810 - Words out of Time. Why 'OK' Is OK.

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Would words and phrases like "operative" and "pump him for information" be out of place in a novel set in the 1800s? We investigate! And we also look ...

809 - Rethink Descriptions Like 'Diabetic.' The Wonderful World of Italics,

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should you call someone a diabetic or a person with diabetes? Also, are you confused about when to use italics? We have the basics (and something that...

808 - 6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know. 'Imply' or 'Infer'?

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know. 'Imply' or 'Infer'? Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course...

807 - Why We Call Them Sea 'Shanties.' A Trick to Remember How to Spell 'Conscience'

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you're enjoying sea shanties these days, have you wondered why they're called "shanties"? Plus, I always have a hard time remembering how to spell ...

806 - Why You Should Try Fanfiction. How to Find Tricky Pronunciations.

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why writing fanfiction can make you a better overall writer. Plus, my tricks for figuring out tricky pronunciations. Subscribe to the newsletter for r...

805 - 'Acedia': the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Acedia": the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now. Plus, when does "thank you" need a hyphen? Subscribe to the newsletter for regula...

804 - Another Think/Thing Coming. 'Sanction,' 'Cleave,' 'Dust,' and More

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are Americans ruining the put-down "You've got another think coming," or was it the British band Judas Priest? Also, everyone loves Janus words like "...

803 - Pandemic, COVID, anderhalvemetersamenleving: 2020 Words of the Year

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's the Oscars of the language world: word-of-the-year data analysis and voting! A spirited conversation with Merriam-Webster's Emily Brewster about ...

802 - Brandon Sanderson on Writing, Character and Place Names, and the Future

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brandon shares funny stories about character and place names gone wrong, his writing struggles, and what the future holds for his work. Subscribe to t...

801 - How to Get Your 'Just Deserts.' Comma After 'But'? Why?

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

More people get the phrase "just deserts" wrong than get it right, but we're here to help! Also, why do some people put a comma after "but"? They shou...

800 - What Did You Step On? And Is That a Desert or a Dessert?

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Here's why you can ignore zombie rules and why it's actually better to write "What did you step on?" than "On what did you step?" (But also when you c...

799 - What 'Whence' Has to Do with 'Where Are You At?' 'Regime' or 'Regimen'?

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why the decline of 'whence' and 'whither' led to 'Where are you at?' And weird memory tricks to help you remember the difference between 'regime,' 're...

798 - Why 'Hilarious' Is Funnier than 'Hysterical.' How to Start a Novel.

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The root of "hysterical" may surprise you (and make you want to use "hilarious" instead). Also, things to remember when starting a novel. Use the hash...

797 - Why Dickens' Character Names Are So Revealing. 'Continual' or 'Continuous'?

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What Dickens can teach you about choosing your characters' names. Plus, how to remember the frustratingly different meanings of "continuous" and "cont...