Shows / Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- Grammar Girl
696 - Hyphens in Ages. The Emphatic 'This.'
We talk about when to use (and not use) hyphens in ages, and when it's OK to say, "I listen to THIS podcast that covers language" instead of "I listen to A…
- Grammar Girl
695 - 'Armageddon' or 'Apocalypse'? Numbers in Dialogue.
Watching the new show "Good Omens," we started wondering about the difference between Armageddon and the apocalypse. Also after helping a friend with an…
- Grammar Girl
694 - Country Names and “The”: The Ukraine or Ukraine. Theater Idioms.
You used to hear people say "the Ukraine," but now it's just "Ukraine." We know why! Plus, in honor of the Tony Awards, we talk about idioms from the theater…
- Grammar Girl
693 - What's Wrong with Saying Something Is 'Very Unique'?
What's wrong with saying something is "very unique"? Plus, autological words like "longer." LINKS AND SPONSORS | Family Ghosts Podcast…
- Grammar Girl
692 - Godzilla, Cryptids, and Dilemma Comments.
Merriam-Webster added the word “cryptid” to its dictionary, and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is hitting theaters, so it seemed like a good time to talk…
- Grammar Girl
691 - BONUS: Introducing Science Rules! with Bill Nye
Bill Nye is on a mission to change the world—one phone call at a time. On his new podcast, Science Rules!, he tackles the curliest questions on just about…
- Grammar Girl
690 - The Spelling Bee Kids
The author of "Beeline" reveals where those funny example sentences come from in the spelling bee and what the success of young spellers can tell us about…
- Grammar Girl
689 - More or most? Majority or plurality? The many (how many?) ways to describe amounts.
How many do you need for a "majority." When "a couple" isn't two. And more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Grammar Girl
688 - Dangling Participles
What are participles and why do they dangle? LINKS AND SPONSORS | Graduation Sweepstakes: http://bit.ly/qdtlifeaftercollege | Grammar Girl's AP style webinar…
- Grammar Girl
687 - What It's Like to Be a Book Editor and Translator
Palgrave Macmillan executive editor Elisabeth Dyssegaard is from Denmark and also works as a translator. LINKS AND SPONSORS | http://bombas.com/grammar |…
- Grammar Girl
686 - The 'Dilemma' Dilemma. 'Big Bang Theory" Words and Language.
The 'Dilemma' Dilemma. 'Big Bang Theory" Words and Language. LINKS AND SPONSORS | http://stamps.com Code:GRAMMAR | http://startwiththispodcast.com | Grammar…
- Grammar Girl
685 - How to Find Work as a Freelance Writer. Adventure.
Tips for new graduates or anyone who is trying to get started as a freelance writer. Plus, the adventurous origin of the word "adventure." FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL…
- Grammar Girl
684 - ‘Unquote’ or ‘End Quote’? Cinco de Mayo. Horse Idioms.
Today we have a couple of fun, timely segments (Cinco de Mayo! The Kentucky Derby!) and we answer a listener question about whether Grammar Girl is…
- Grammar Girl
683 - ‘So’ and ‘So That’: What Type of Conjunction Are They?
‘So’ and ‘So That’: Coordinating or Subordinating Conjunction? FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube: http://bit.ly/YoutubeGrammar | Twitter…
- Grammar Girl
682 - Do You Drop Your T's? 'Sneaked' and 'Snuck.'
Young women are leading language change again! This time, it's dropping T's in words like "Vermont" and "important." Also, we look at how "snuck" is sneaking…
- Grammar Girl
681 - 'The Dictionary of Difficult Words,' an Interview with Jane Solomon
Doppelganger, estival, and funambulist. Jane Solomon shares the story behind her new book, "The Dictionary of Difficult Words." FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
680 - Wakandan, Groot, and Other Languages of the Marvel Universe. Easter and Passover.
Wakandan, Groot, and more. The movies in the Marvel universe are filled with interesting real and made-up languages. Plus, did you know Easter and Passover are…
- Grammar Girl
679 - Brussels sprouts? Scotch eggs? Swedish meatballs? Which food names can you trust?
Some foods really do come from a certain city or region, others have names that are tied to the location but not in the way you think, and some are outright…
- Grammar Girl
678 - Moolah, Clams, and Scratch. God, Godsend, and Godfather.
Paying our taxes made us think about slang words for money, and all the upcoming religious holidays made us wonder which "god" words to capitalize. FOLLOW…
- Grammar Girl
676 - The Language of 'Game of Thrones'
There’s so much excitement about the 'Game of Thrones' finale that we just had to include a segment about on it this week’s show. Not just because we love…
- Grammar Girl
675 - Why Verbs Like 'Witness' Are Weird
A listener asked why a sentence using the verb "witness" sounded weird, and we found a surprising answer. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
674 - How You Can Benefit Year-Round from NaNoWriMo
Grant Faulkner's organization has worked with hundreds of thousands of writers, and he has some advice for you. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
673 - Schwa-ify This! Scrabble Stories
A scene from "The Princess Bride" will help you understand the schwa. Plus, how one Scrabble tournament got out of hand. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
672 - How a Semicolon Brought Two Writers Together
Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer, authors of "Mr. Nice Guy," talk about how the semicolon brought them together, how they wrangle working as a writing team…
- Grammar Girl
671 - Why We Have Both 'Color' and 'Colour'
British versus American spelling. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grammargirl | Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl | Facebook…
- Grammar Girl
670 - Equinox. Is Irish the Same as Gaelic?
What Is the Equinox? Is Irish the Same as Gaelic? | FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL | YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grammargirl | Twitter…
- Grammar Girl
669 - 'Red Tape,' 'Red Herring,' 'Paint the Town Red,' and More 'Red' Idioms.
This week, we investigate the origin of "red tape" and other "red" idioms. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grammargirl Twitter…
- Grammar Girl
668 - What's Wrong with 'These Ones'? Faith and Begorrah, We Have Irish Phrases for St. Patrick's Day!
Faith and begorrah, we have Irish phrases for St. Patrick's Day! Plus, a listener asks whether it's wrong to say "these ones" and "those ones." FOLLOW GRAMMAR…
- Grammar Girl
667 - Why ducks say "quack-quack" in English but "ga-ga" in Japanese.
FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grammargirl Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Pinterest…
- Grammar Girl
666 - Double Negatives.
In this week's Grammar Girl podcast, we talk about why double negatives aren't always wrong. You just need to be careful with them. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL…
- Grammar Girl
665 - Language News Chat
Mignon and Neal talk about language influencing memory, OFOM, university language programs, and more. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
664 - Benjamin Dreyer and His Unusual Pet Peeves
New York Times bestselling author Benjamin Dreyer talks about his pet peeves, how he found his voice, why his book largely ignores AP style, and more. FOLLOW…
- Grammar Girl
663 - D-Day. Why I Want a Salad-Salad.
What does the "D" in "D-Day" mean? What makes a salad-salad different from a plain old salad? FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grammargirl…
- Grammar Girl
662 - 'Racket' or 'Racquet'? Never Misspell 'Bureaucracy' Again.
When to use "racket" and "racquet," never forget how to spell "bureaucracy" again, the origin of winter storm words. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
661 - How Paula Brackston picks her characters’ names and uses language to set a tone.
Mignon and Paula Brackston (author of "The Witch's Daughter" and "The Little Shop of Found Things") talk about how Paula picks her characters’ names, how she…
- Grammar Girl
660 - 'Irregardless' or 'Regardless'? Crime Words.
Why do people say "irregardless" and where do we get words like "sleuth," "red herring," and "gumshoe"? FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
659 - Normans, Ralls, and Voicemail
I want you to share your family's word stories, and I tell one of my own to get you started. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/grammargirl…
- Grammar Girl
658 - 'Wage,' 'Wager,' and 'Wed'
It's a Super Bowl episode! Grammar Girl investigates how "wager" is related to "wed" and "mortgage." Why does the saying "The wages of sin is death," treat…
- Grammar Girl
657 - 'Tip of the Hat" or 'Tip Your Hand'? 'Yeah No.'
This week, we figure out why you tip both your hat and your hand, and then we take a fascinating look at why people use the seemingly illogical phrase "Yeah…
- Grammar Girl
656 - ‘Relapse’ or ‘Recur’? 'Kneeled' or 'Knelt.' ’Methinks.’
This week, I have a Quick and Dirty Tip about the difference between the words “relapse” and “recur,” another Quick and Dirty Tip about the difference between…
- Grammar Girl
655 - ‘Myriad’ or ‘Myriad Of’? What Is a Run-On Sentence?
This week, we talk about the controversy over "a myriad of" and (clutch your pearls!) "myriads" and explain why a run-on sentence isn't just a really long…
- Grammar Girl
654 - 'Stint' or 'Stent'? How to Pronounce 'Coyote.'
This week, I give you a memory trick--based on an amazing story from history--for remembering the difference between "stint" and "stent," and we look at why…
- Grammar Girl
653 - How to Use an Asterisk. Journaling.
This week, we learn the ins and outs of using an asterisk and talk about the many ways to keep a journal. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
652 - ‘Purposely' or 'Purposefully'? Yule.
In this week's Grammar Girl podcast, I help you stop misusing "purposefully" and delve into the history of yuletide. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
651 - 'Capitulate' or 'Recapitulate'? Colons.
This week, we investigate why "capitulate" and "recapitulate" have such different meanings when they seem so similar, and we review how to use colons. It's…
- Grammar Girl
650 - 'Wreaked' or 'Wrought'? 'Crescendo.' Could We Understand Aliens?
This week, we'll explore the difference between "wreaked" and "wrought," learn a trick to never misuse or misspell "crescendo" again, and answer the question…
- Grammar Girl
649 - 'Ado' or 'Adieu'? Pronouns and Antecedents
This week, we'll tease apart the ado/adieu eggcorn and make some funny sentences using pronoun/antecedent errors. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL YouTube…
- Grammar Girl
648 - Does Your Language Influence How You Think?
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis claims that the language you speak determines the way you think. It's been widely debunked, but we go through some studies that seem…
- Grammar Girl
647 - Pronoun Order. ‘Flier’ or ‘Flyer.’ The Plural of ‘Mouse.’
This week, I have a Quick and Dirty Tip about pronouns and how you should order them, another Quick and Dirty Tip about how to spell “flyer” (or is that…
- Grammar Girl
646 - 'Blond' or 'Blonde'? How 'Trolloping' Became a Word.
Have you ever wondered why we have two ways to spell "blond(e)"? Also, I share some fascinating American frontier history that reveals how "trolloping' became…
- Grammar Girl
645 - Interview with New York Times bestselling author Courtney Summers
This week is a special show. I interview Courtney Summers, the author of the New York Times best-selling novel "Sadie," and learn what it was like to work on a…
- Grammar Girl
644 - 'Sit' or 'Set'? Monster Names.
This week, teaching a dog to sit can help you remember "sit" versus "set," and we get ready for Halloween with words that come from monster names. FOLLOW…
- Grammar Girl
643 - ‘In the Limelight.’ ‘A’ or ‘An’?
This week, we figure out why we say people are "in the limelight," and we explain the rules for using "a" and "an"--many people misunderstand the rules (or…
- Grammar Girl
642 - 'Regard' Versus 'Regards.' Languages Without Numbers.
This week, we tease out when to use "regard" and when to use "regards," and we learn about fascinating languages that don't have numbers. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL…
- Grammar Girl
641 - 'Myself.' ‘Get the Skinny.’
This week, I help people learn how to use the word "myself" (and talk about some interesting dialects) and investigate about why we say we "get the skinny" on…
- Grammar Girl
640 - Can a Screw Screw Itself into a Board? (Middle Voice)
This week, we look at an interesting kind of sentence that's written in the "middle voice." FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl…
- Grammar Girl
639 - Great Paragraphs. Falling off the Turnip Truck.
Go beyond formulaic essay rules and create paragraphs that will hook your readers. Also, we figure out why people say they didn't just fall off the turnip…
- Grammar Girl
638 - 'None.' How Pirates Talked.
Some people say only "none is" is right, but we tackle "none are." Plus, we have an extra fun segment about pirate-speak for Talk Like a Pirate Day. FOLLOW…
- Grammar Girl
637 - ‘MacGyver.’ ‘Semicolons.’
Last week, I talked about "MacGyvering" things, so this week, I explain what I meant. Plus, I talk about one of the most contentious punctuation marks: the…
- Grammar Girl
636 - 'To Boot.' Duck Tape. 'Can' and 'May.' Pronouns.
This week, I have more evidence that "quick and dirty" is from the Pacific Northwest, why we say "to boot," whether the correct name is "duct tape" or "duck…