Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

449 GG Double Possessives

01 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Follow along on the website: Transitive Versus Intransitive Verbs http://j.mp/1AUkNaZ Double Possessives http://j.mp/1x8OVy2 Try my iOS game, Grammar ...

448 GG How Our Brains Process Hyperbole

25 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Follow along on the website: Champ Versus Chomp http://j.mp/1Cp9TsZ Hyperbole http://j.mp/1HkXt6c Adulting http://j.mp/1sNOALZ Hosted by Simplecast, a...

446 GG Why Don't People Say "Thou" Anymore

11 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Read along on the website: What Does "Xmas" Really Mean? http://bit.ly/1xkSUsL Why Don't People Say "Thou" Anymore? http://bit.ly/1sv4joy Who Says "Ki...

445 GG Why Do People Say "Like" All the Time?

04 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Read along on the website" Is "Boughten" a Word? http://j.mp/1tUEecu Did Valley Girls Invent "Like"? http://j.mp/12CCHlG Is G...

444 GG Between You and Me

27 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Read along on the website: Lightning versus Lightening http://bit.ly/121kVb0 Between You and Me http://bit.ly/1AnHpif How Teddy Bears Got Their Name h...

442 GG Make Me a Sandwich

13 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Based on Versus Based off. Make Me a Sandwich: A Joke About Verbs. How to Pronounce Zero Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...

441 GG Mic or Mike? Simple or Simplistic? Uppercase and Lowercase

06 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Mic or Mike? Simple or Simplistic? Uppercase and Lowercase. Visit the website: http://bit.ly/1qEiW2m Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...

440 GG How to Plan a Novel

30 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

For NaNoWriMo: How to format a character's thoughts, how to plan a novel, and the surprising newness of the novel format. Visit the website: http://bi...

439 GG Texting, Coffins, and Death

23 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Today, with Halloween in mind, I have a Quick and Dirty tip about the difference between a casket and a coffin; and an excerpt from David Crystal’s ...

438 GG Why Do People Say Punctuation Out Loud?

16 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

"Vaccine" Versus "Vaccination." Syelle Graves explains why people say things such as "We never leave any soldier behind. Peri...

437 GG What’s the difference between England, Great Britain, and the UK?

09 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I know all you European listeners think it’s ridiculous that Americans don’t know the difference between England and Britain, but a British friend...

436 GG Why People Have Always Been Confused About Apostrophes

02 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

An interview with Ammon Shea about the confusing history of apostrophes. Hanged Versus Hung. The story of the Victorian Great Exhibition, where Adolph...

435 GG We Might Could Harvest the Corn

25 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Yes, you can start a sentence with "because." Here's how to do it. What are helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs), and why do people i...

434 GG Ya Shank: The Made-Up Swear Words of 'The Maze Runner'

18 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Insults, swear words, and world-building for young adults: In an interview with James Dashner, I got the inside scoop on the language of "The Maze Run...

433 GG Why People Mix Up the Pronouns "Me" and "I"

11 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I can tell you which pronouns to use, but it takes a linguist to explain WHY people get confused. Here, Gretchen McCulloch reveals the fascinating rea...

431 GG Words That Aren't Words

28 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, you get a Quick and Dirty Tip about where to put periods and commas relative to quotation marks, an excerpt from Ammon Shea's book &q...

430 GG The Plural of Money. This Is Your Brain on Writing. Egregious

21 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's podcast, Grammar Girl discusses the plural of money, how to use "egregious," and talks with Ellen Hendriksen from The Savvy P...

429 GG How to Use the Conjunction “Nor”

14 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How do you use the conjunction "nor" and why is it so special it deserves a podcast of its own? Neil Whitman explains. Visit the website to read the f...

428 GG Crash Blossoms

07 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Why the Associated Press accidentally made people think another Malaysian airplane had crashed, and what it tells us about language. Visit the website...

427 GG 7 French Food-Related Words That Became English

31 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

When the Normans took over England in 1066, they brought their food and their language. We talk about seven interesting French words that made it into...

426 GG A Language Lover's Trip to England

24 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

During a short but delightful trip to England, I saw the Rosetta Stone, the White Tower at the Tower of London, ancient alphabet tiles and wax seals, ...

425 GG Why Weird Al's Word Crimes Video Made Me Want to Quit

17 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Why Weird Al's Word Crimes Video Made Me Want to Quit. Visit the website to watch the video and comment: http://bit.ly/1qArtIJ Hosted by Simplecast, a...

424GG There's Something Weird About "For," "Yet," and "So"

10 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

FANBOYS are a myth and there's something weird about "for," "yet," and "so." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

423 GG Is the Semicolon in TL;DR Ironic?

03 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

"TL;DR" means "too long; didn't read," but the semicolon is usually associated with long or complex sentences. What is it doing in...

422GG Manipulating Words to Make Things Funny

26 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Why sentences like this are funny: A woman gives birth in the UK every 48 seconds. She must be exhausted. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. Se...

421 - Part II: Why Do People Say 'A-Whole-Nother'?

19 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Why do people say "a-whole-nother"?It's the same reason we say "an apron" instead if "a napron." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads...

420 - Why 'A-Whole-Nother' Isn’t Like 'Ala-Frickin’-Bama' and 'Hizzouse'

12 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

While researching why people say "a-whole-nother," Syelle Graves discovered that even knowing what to call the phrase gets complicated (and interestin...

419 - Using Stick Figures to Understand First, Second, and Third Person

05 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Using Stick Figures to Understand First, Second, and Third Person Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ...

417 - An Unparalleled Letdown

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The authors of "The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation" help us understand parallel structure. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads...

416GG How to Kick Your Annoying Preposition Habit

15 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How to Kick Your Annoying Preposition Habit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...

415 - Commas Are Like People on the Subway

08 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Commas are like people on the subway: You think you know them, but they're awfully complex. This week, we'll dig deeper and get to know some of their ...

414 - Luisa Zissman's Missing Apostrophe

01 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes companies leave apostrophes out of their names when it seems as if the name would need an apostrophe. Why do they do it, and is it wrong? Ho...

413 - Words Invented by Shakespeare

24 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of Shakespeare's 450th birthday, we'll look at Shakespeare's words, phrases, insults, and false friends. I bet you don't know them all. Hoste...

412 - Can I Help Who's Next?

18 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Neal Whitman addresses some annoying phrases you hear in stores and restaurants, such as "Can I help who's next?" and "Did you want cream in your coff...

411 - Addictive Versus Addicting

10 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Addictive Versus Addicting Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

410GG Just Because

30 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

It's tricky to pick apart the grammar of a sentence such as "Just because you’re correct doesn’t mean you’re not annoying." Guest writer Neal Wh...

408 - Why We Don't End Sentences With "You're"

21 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Some words have strong forms, weak forms, and even weaker forms. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

407GG Why Canadians Don't Really Say "Aboot"

13 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Gretchen McCulloch from the All Things Linguistic explains why Canadians don't say "aboot" and why most Americans think they do. Hosted by Simplecast,...

406GG Begging the Question

07 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Language is changing but that doesn't mean you have to go with the flow. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

405 - Is Cash Money a Regional Expression?

28 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Is Cash Money a Regional Expression? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...

404 - Why "Substitute" Is Weird

27 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Why it’s hard to talk about substituting one thing for another without confusing people. Guest Writer: Neal Whitman Sponsor: AudiblePodcast.com/GG H...

403 - Preventative and Orientate

22 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re going to talk about two cases in which English has two words that mean the same thing and whether one choice is better than the other. ...

402 - Little Bunny Foo Foo

21 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The Hoax Behind Little Bunny Foo Foo Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...

401 - How Clipping Creates New Words

14 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Great tales of English word evolution: From pantaloons to pants, caravan to van, and much more. Guest Writer: Bonnie Trenga Sponsor: http://FundAnythi...

400 - How Reading Tickles Your Neurons

09 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

When you read about a character, in some ways your brain acts as though it thinks you ARE the character. It's amazing. Grammar Girl and the Savvy Psyc...

399 - Your Brain on Fiction

07 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

How Literature Changes Your Brain for the Better. If you liked this podcast, check out our new show, The Savvy Psychologist. Hosted by Simplecast, an ...

071 Units Of Measure

30 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Units Of Measure: Feet, Ft., Lb., Degrees, and Percents Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec...

398GG Why Some Band Names Take "The" and Some Don't

24 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Why can we say "the Jefferson Airplane" but not "the Led Zeppelin"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com ...

397 - Secrets of Bestselling Novels

16 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A new study uncovered things that successful novels have in common. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...

396 GG Tenterhooks or Tenderhooks?

10 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

What could this week’s topic be? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of perso...

192 Do I Hate Your Singing or You Singing?

02 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Do I Hate Your Singing or You Singing? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

395 GG How to Use Quotation Marks

24 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How to mix quotation marks with other punctuation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection ...

394GG Hashtag Rap

17 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Did Kanye West Coin the Term "Hashtag Rap"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

393 GG Nonsense Syllables

13 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why we sing "fra la la" instead of "fa spla spla" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...

392 GG Orangehead

06 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we call people redheads instead of orangeheads? Guest writer Gretchen McCulloch has the amazing answer. Grammar Pop Winterfest is a new wintery...

251 - What Is a Gerund?

28 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What Is a Gerund? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

391 GG Scrabble Words

22 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

A fun romp through some quirky words you may see when you're playing Scrabble. Remember to check out my new game, Grammar Pop, for your iPhone or iPa...

390 - Passive Voice

15 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Avoid one of the biggest passive voice mistakes! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an...

389 GG English Plurals: Wugs and Blicks

07 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Your subconscious controls how you speak. We show why you already know how to make imaginary words such as "wugs" and "blicks" plu...

388 GG Style Sheets

23 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Don't make the mistake of treating your style sheet like a style guide. The new grammar game, Grammar Pop, is now available for the iPhone. Look for i...

387 GG "Because" as a Preposition

14 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What's up with sentences such as I didn't do my homework because Skyrim? Try Grammar Girl's new iPad and iPhone game: Grammar Pop. Hosted by Simplecas...

386 - Negation in Night Vale

10 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Night Vale: Where even “not” isn’t what it seems. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

117 - Biweekly Versus Semiweekly

03 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why "biweekly" can have multiple legitimate meanings. Check out the new word game Grammar Pop in the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gramma...

385 - Irony

27 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

More than five different types of irony? No wonder it's confusing! Guest writer Keith Houston, author of "Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctua...

384 - Homophones

19 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Which English homophones came from polysemy and which came from spelling variation? Try our new iPad game, Grammar Pop. If you like the Grammar Girl p...

383 GG Could Care Less

12 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

An excerpt from Bill Walsh's book "Yes, I Could Care Less." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information ab...

50 GG Like Versus As

05 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Find out which of these words is a preposition and which is a conjunction. Try Grammar Girl's new iPad game called Grammar Pop. You match words with t...

381 GG Prepositions

30 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The fascinating history of English prepositions (yes, really). If you are trying to learn about prepositions, try Grammar Girl's new iPad game called ...

380 GG Participles and Gerunds

22 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Prove you know your parts of speech with the new iPad game Grammar Pop. You don't have to know the difference between participles and gerunds to play,...

379 GG Apostrophes in Science Fiction and Fantasy Names

15 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Who started it and why? Get Grammar Girl's books at http://j.mp/allGGbooks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...

378 GG Apostrophes and Plurals

09 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how to use apostrophes by pondering a Victoria's Secret ad. Buy Grammar Girl's books: http://j.mp/allGGbooks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co...

377 GG Royal "We"

02 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of the new royal baby, more formally known as Prince George Alexander Louis, we're pondering a pompous pronoun choice known as the "roya...

376 GG Why Do We Have Both A and An?

19 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How English evolved to give us two indefinite articles (a and an), and the odd mix of possessive pronouns that don't quite match. Buy Grammar Girl's b...

375 GG What Is It Called When You Mishear Song Lyrics?

11 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Spoonerisms, Mondegreens, Malapropisms, and Eggcorns. Like the podcast? See Grammar Girl's books: http://j.mp/allGGbooks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

374 GG Rebracketing

05 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How to Make Weird Product Names Plural Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

372 GG Retronyms

21 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Retronyms: Scourge of the Language or Helpful Tool? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

371 GG Commma Splice

14 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How to Avoid a Common Comma Error: The Comma Splice Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

370 GG Why Isn't "Gruntled" A Word?

07 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why Aren't We Gruntled When We're Happy? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...

369 GG Why Does "I" Take Plural Verbs?

31 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

"I" is singular, so why do we say "I go" instead of "I goes"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz....

368 GG Hyphens

24 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How to Use Hyphens. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...

367 GG The Old Editor Says

17 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

John E. McIntyre, a veteran editor at The Baltimore Sun, shares pithy editing maxims from his new book. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See ...

366 GG How Texting Is Changing English

10 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How Texting Is Changing English Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

285 GG "Moot" Versus "Mute"

03 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Moot isn't moot, but it can mean something different in Britain and the U.S. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

365 GG The Language of Crime

26 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The Language of Crime Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ...

364 GG Why Would Anyone Use "The Chicago Manual of Style"?

19 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Style guides. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertis...

363 GG Writing Flashbacks

12 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How to manage verb tense when writing flashbacks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...

362 GG Why Are Some Portmanteaus So Awful?

05 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

My failed entries for the Clorox Ick-tionary. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u...

361 GG Is That a Wool Sweater or a Woolen Sweater?

29 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What to do when you can use an attributive noun or an adjective. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

051 GG I'm Good

22 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Is it OK to answer "How are you?" with "I'm good"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection ...

359 GG Do You Tell People to Pound Sand or Pound Salt?

08 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Deciphering crazy English idioms. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...

358 GG "Only": The Most Insidious Misplaced Modifier

01 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

How putting the word "only" in the wrong place can confuse your readers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

357 GG Why the Plural of "Die" Is "Dice," not "Douse."

22 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Fossils of language Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ad...

356 GG Where Do I Use Commas?

15 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a comma-kaze? Do you use commas like confetti? Don't use a comma everywhere you would pause when speaking. Check out the rules. Hosted by Simp...

355 GG Subject Object

08 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why "I love you" is the easiest way ever to remember the difference between subject and object. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adsw...

353 GG Can Apple Get Away with "Funness"?

25 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

and "renanoing"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

352 GG How to Create and Use Figures of Speech Pt.1

18 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Make your messages more vivid, more memorable, and trigger emotional responses using anaphora, antithesis, and chiasmus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

351 GG Pronouns: Is a Company a "Who" or a "That"?

11 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

What pronoun should you use when referring to a company? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our colle...

350 GG "Who" Versus "That"

04 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Is Your Dog an "It" or a "She"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

349 GG A Word Lover's Highlights of 2012

28 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

The good, the bad, and the odd. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

348 GG How Webster's Screwed Up

21 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

How an editor who hated the word "radical," became a radical. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our ...