Shows / Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl

QuickAndDirtyTips.com · en · 1073 episodes

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.

Website ↗

Episodes

Grammar Girl
575 GG Gestures. Elbow Grease. Capitalizing Directions.
Knowing when to capitalize a directional word such as "south" can be tricky. I have some guidelines. We also explain why we tell people to use "elbow grease"…
Jun 29, 2017·14m
Grammar Girl
574 GG Commas with Transition Words. Double Whammy.
Have you ever wondered how to use a comma with 'however' (or if you even should)? We’ve got the scoop on using commas and semicolons with 'however,'…
Jun 22, 2017·6m
Grammar Girl
573 GG Until, Till, and 'Til. Dad Jokes.
You've heard them called "dad jokes," but have you ever wondered why? We have a definition and also what we think is the perfect example of a dad joke. Also…
Jun 15, 2017·13m
Grammar Girl
572 GG Themself. Comma Splices.
You've finally accepted that it's OK to use the singular 'they'--sometimes--but now you have to decide whether to use 'themself' or 'themselves.' Don't worry…
Jun 8, 2017·11m
Grammar Girl
571 GG Lego or Legos? Why English Spelling Reform Is Doomed.
If it bothered you last week that I called the toys Legos, you'll like this week's first topic: Lego or Legos? You'll probably like it if you weren't bothered…
Jun 1, 2017·24m
Grammar Girl
570 GG Burned or Burnt? Why English Spelling Is a Mess.
Burned or Burnt? Why English Spelling Is a Mess. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl…
May 26, 2017·12m
Grammar Girl
569 GG. Explain vs. Explanation. How to Outline.
If you've ever wondered why "explain" has an I but "explanation" doesn't, we have the answer. Also, need help jumpstarting your writing process? Here's why…
May 18, 2017·9m
Grammar Girl
568 GG. In or Among. Weird Words.
This week we talk about why you might describe someone as "among bushes" instead of "in the bushes," and we talk about how we get weird words like "gaga,"…
May 12, 2017·10m
Grammar Girl
567 Is Pig Latin a Real Language?
This week we talk about the origin of the word "harbinger" (and I sing about swans) and whether Pig Latin qualifies as a language. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter…
May 4, 2017·11m
Grammar Girl
566 GG. Off Your Feed. Animal Language.
Off Your Feed. Animal Language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 27, 2017·18m
Grammar Girl
565 GG. Solving Crimes with Language. Apple, Podcasts, and Prepositions.
Apple, Podcasts, and Prepositions. Forensic Linguistics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 20, 2017·9m
Grammar Girl
564 GG. Preposition or Adverb?
The weird complications about words such as "up" and "over" that make people fight about whether they are prepositions or adverbs. FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter…
Apr 13, 2017·16m
Grammar Girl
563 GG Singular 'They'
Singular 'They' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 7, 2017·11m
Grammar Girl
562 GG AP Style and Chicago Manual of Style Updates
AP Style and Chicago Manual of Style Updates FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Snapchat…
Mar 31, 2017·13m
Grammar Girl
561 GG $10 Million Comma. Ambiguous Sentences. Tribute to Bill Walsh
The $10 Million Comma. Ambiguous Sentences. A Tribute to Bill Walsh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 23, 2017·12m
Grammar Girl
560 GG Devil's Advocate. 3 Tips for Creating Sentences with Punch
This week we talk about why we call someone a "devil's advocate" and why the rules of writing are the same for good lawyers and good thriller writers. FOLLOW…
Mar 16, 2017·11m
Grammar Girl
559 GG. Abbreviations. And Then the Murders Began. Runcible. Haiku.
This week, I have a Quick and Dirty Tip about how to define abbreviations that you use over and over in a document and a tidbit about a fun internet meme…
Mar 10, 2017·9m
Grammar Girl
558 GG How to Write Good Survey Questions
How to avoid biasing your questions and annoying your respondents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 3, 2017·12m
Grammar Girl
557 GG Double Dactyl Poetry
Write a double dactyl poem in honor of National Grammar Day. FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Double Dactyl Poetry: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/node/9136…
Feb 23, 2017·13m
Grammar Girl
556 GG Tumult. Bull in a China Shop. Always, Never, Usually, Often, Most, and More
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Tumult: http://bit.ly/2lSXWtI Absolutes: http://bit.ly/2kD6CTf DISCOVERY CHANNEL 'BULL IN A CHINA SHOP' VIDEO…
Feb 16, 2017·9m
Grammar Girl
555 GG. Toe/Tow the Line. Pled or Pleaded. Animal Idioms.
This week we talk about "toeing the line," "pled" versus "pleaded," and animal idioms such as "There's an eel under the rock." FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter…
Feb 9, 2017·10m
Grammar Girl
554 GG 'Reticent' or 'Reluctant.' Which' or 'That.'
This week we talk about the difference between "reluctant" and "reticent" and when to use "which" or "that." FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter…
Feb 2, 2017·8m
Grammar Girl
553 GG Not Only, But Also. Leave in the Lurch. Month Names.
This week we talk about a common error you should avoid when using "not only" with "but also." We examine why we talk about leaving someone "in the lurch."…
Jan 27, 2017·10m
Grammar Girl
551 Capital vs Capitol. Citing Podcasts and Websites
Are people in the capitol or capital this weekend? Also, why do citations even matter and what should you look for in a source? SPONSORS Download the Dunkin'…
Jan 19, 2017·12m
Grammar Girl
551 GG. Words of the Year. Writing Tips.
This week, we discuss the words of the year and four simple ways to write better in the new year. UPDATED AP STYLE INTERACTIVE WEB COURSE…
Jan 12, 2017·12m
Grammar Girl
550 GG Enormity or Enormousness? Badminton
This week we discuss whether there is really a difference between "enormity" and "enormousness" and about how badminton (not badmitten) got its name. UPDATED…
Jan 5, 2017·5m
Grammar Girl
549 GG Hone/Home In. Apostrophes.
A great memory trick to remember the difference between homing and honing (plus a complete aside about spiderwebs). Also, an solution to the mystery of why you…
Dec 29, 2016·9m
Grammar Girl
548 GG. What Makes Good Stories.
What’s your favorite book and why? The questions are more than just a way to fill your online dating profile—they’re insights into how beloved stories push our…
Dec 22, 2016·8m
Grammar Girl
547 GG 'A While' or 'Awhile'? Writing Dialogue
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Writing Dialogue http://bit.ly/writing_dialogue 'A While' or 'Awhile'? http://bit.ly/a-while UPDATED AP STYLE INTERACTIVE WEB…
Dec 15, 2016·8m
Grammar Girl
546 GG Anxious/Eager. If Not.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Anxious or Eager? http://bit.ly/anxiouseager If Not: http://bit.ly/ifnot SPONSORS http://sockclub.com/grammar and the code…
Dec 8, 2016·13m
Grammar Girl
545 GG Read the Riot Act. The Changing English Language.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE English Is Flexible http://bit.ly/EnglishIsFlexible Read the Riot Act http://bit.ly/ReadTheRiotAct SPONSORS…
Dec 1, 2016·12m
Grammar Girl
544 GG. Pilgrim Names. Pronouncing Foreign Words
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Pronouncing Foreign Words: http://bit.ly/2fiPCQf SPONSOR http://blurb.com/GRAMMAR and the promo code GRAMMAR for 25% off…
Nov 24, 2016·19m
Grammar Girl
543 GG. By the Wayside. How to Pronounce 'Biopic'
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE By the Wayside http://bit.ly/2fNt0aq Pronouncing "Biopic" http://bit.ly/2fwymYl SPONSOR http://audible.com/gg UPDATED AP STYLE…
Nov 17, 2016·9m
Grammar Girl
542 GG. 'Aloud' or "Out Loud'? Strong Voice
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE 'Aloud' or 'Out Loud'? http://bit.ly/aloud-out-loud Crafting a Strong Voice: http://bit.ly/strong-voice SPONSOR…
Nov 11, 2016·7m
Grammar Girl
541 GG Before or Prior To? Foreign Language Syndrome
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE 'Prior To' or 'Before'? http://bit.ly/prior-to Foreign Language Syndrome: http://bit.ly/foreign-language-syndrome SPONSOR…
Nov 3, 2016·8m
Grammar Girl
540 GG. Cemetery or Graveyard? Peer Editing. To Calendar.
UPDATED AP STYLE INTERACTIVE WEB COURSE http://www.ragan.com/Z5AC03-MACMIL FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook…
Oct 27, 2016·11m
Grammar Girl
539 GG Capitalizing Job Titles. I.e. Versus E.g. Sentence Diagramming
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Capitalizing Job Titles http://bit.ly/capitalize-titles I.e. Versus E.g. http://bit.ly/IE-EG Sentence Diagramming…
Oct 20, 2016·14m
Grammar Girl
538 Alumni. Words from Bookmaking. Beyond the Pale
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Alums or Alumni? http://bit.ly/alum-alumni Words from Bookmaking http://bit.ly/bookmaking-words Beyond the Pale…
Oct 14, 2016·14m
Grammar Girl
537 GG "Further" Versus "Farther." Horse's Mouth
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE "Further" Versus "Farther" http://bit.ly/FurtherFarther Straight from the Horse's Mouth http://bit.ly/HorsesMouth SPONSORS ModCloth…
Oct 7, 2016·11m
Grammar Girl
536 GG Hit the Bestseller List: How to Style Your Words Like a Bestselling Author
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Canceled or Cancelled? http://bit.ly/cancelled-canceled Why Homecoming is HoCo: http://bit.ly/homecoming-hoco The Bestseller Code…
Sep 29, 2016·13m
Grammar Girl
535 GG Anyways or Anyway? Topic Sentences
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Anyway or Anyways? http://bit.ly/AnywayAnyways How to Write a Good Topic Sentence: http://bit.ly/Topic-Sentence SPONSORS…
Sep 22, 2016·10m
Grammar Girl
534 GG. Bridget Jones. Pay Dirt. Dashes.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Bridget Jones's Baby: http://bit.ly/JonesPossessive Pay Dirt: http://bit.ly/PayDirtIdiom Dashes: http://bit.ly/HowToUseEmDash…
Sep 15, 2016·16m
Grammar Girl
533 GG. Etc. Short Shrift. Prepositions
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE How to Pronounce 'Etcetera': http://bit.ly/pronounce-etc Short Shrift http://bit.ly/short-shrift Prepositions Aren't Literal…
Sep 8, 2016·17m
Grammar Girl
532 GG Loose or Lose. You Wazzock.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE 'Loose' or 'Lose'? http://bit.ly/LooseLose Origin of 'Loose as a Goose' http://bit.ly/LooseGoose You Wazzock! http://bit.ly/wazzock…
Sep 1, 2016·20m
Grammar Girl
531 GG Writing Dual POVs. Space Operas and Soap Operas.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Writing Dual POVs: http://bit.ly/DualPOVs Soap Operas: http://bit.ly/Space-Opera SPONSORS http://magoosh.com Use the code "grammar"…
Aug 25, 2016·9m
Grammar Girl
530 GG Whom. Preorder. Badger, Weasel, Ferret.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE "Who" Versus "Whom": http://bit.ly/Who-Whom Preorder: http://bit.ly/CanISayPreorder Idioms of the Forest…
Aug 18, 2016·12m
Grammar Girl
529 GG Latin Words. Batten Down the Hatches
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Words from Latin: http://bit.ly/words-with-latin-origins Batten Down the Hatches: http://bit.ly/batten-down SPONSORS…
Aug 11, 2016·10m
Grammar Girl
528 GG Adjectives. Logical Fallacies
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE 5 Types of Fallacies: http://bit.ly/2agt9oQ Order of Adjectives: http://bit.ly/2at4U1U SPONSORS: http://magoosh.com Use the code…
Aug 4, 2016·11m
Grammar Girl
527 GG 'Lit' or 'Lighted.' Why Some Words Become Homophones
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE 'LIT' OR 'LIGHTED'? http://bit.ly/LitOrLighted ALVEOLAR FLAPPING: http://bit.ly/AmericanHomophones SPONSORS: http://magoosh.com Use…
Jul 29, 2016·15m
Grammar Girl
526 GG Types of Third Person Point of View. Flammable and Inflammable
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE WHY DOES "INFLAMMABLE" MEAN "FLAMMABLE"? When we’re describing something that burns easily, we say it’s flammable, but…
Jul 22, 2016·8m
Grammar Girl
525 GG Food Idioms. 'Affective' or 'Effective'
Why do we say 'Take it with a grain of salt' and other food idioms? Is it 'affective' or 'effective'? FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE…
Jul 15, 2016·12m
Grammar Girl
524 - Affect Versus Effect. How to Pronounce The
HOW TO PRONOUNCE "THE": Did you know there are two ways to pronounce "the," and the rule that governs which pronunciation you choose is kind of like how you…
Jul 7, 2016·12m
Grammar Girl
523 GG Sightseeing. On Accident Versus by Accident
SIGHTSEEING: A listener asked, “Why is it sightseeing and not siteseeing? Aren't you seeing sites? Sightseeing sounds redundant.” Interesting question! ON…
Jun 30, 2016·11m
Grammar Girl
522 GG Hearty or Hardy? How English Became English. Jury-Rigged.
HEARTY OR HARDY? A listener named Cheryl left a comment on the Grammar Girl Facebook page asking me to write about the difference between hearty and hardy. She…
Jun 23, 2016·17m
Grammar Girl
521 GG Is Funnest a Word? How to Pronounce Adirondack.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE ADIRONDACK: Apparently, I’ve been mispronouncing "Adirondack" my whole life, and thanks to the listeners who let me know. WRITING FOR AUDIO: A…
Jun 16, 2016·9m
Grammar Girl
520 GG Band Names. Woman or Female?
BAND NAMES: When referring to a rock band, do I use the single form "is" or "are"? Does the band name dictate the usage? WOMAN OR FEMALE? The question of word…
Jun 10, 2016·7m
Grammar Girl
519 GG RBIs. Principal and Principle. Run of the Mill
HOW TO MAKE RBI PLURAL: Baseball season has started, so it’s a good time to answer questions from listeners who have asked how to make an abbreviation such as…
Jun 2, 2016·11m
Grammar Girl
518 GG Are You Interurban? Vonnegut's Famous Semicolon Quotation Was Taken Out of Context. Off the Cuff.
ARE YOU INTERURBAN? When you split your time between the East Coast and the West Coast, you can call yourself “bicoastal.” What about when you’re splitting…
May 26, 2016·11m
Grammar Girl
517 GG Why Do We Call It Commencement? When to Delete "It"
COMMENCEMENT: Last week a professor in my department asked me why we call a graduation ceremony “commencement” when the event marks the end of college. “To…
May 19, 2016·8m
Grammar Girl
516 GG Celsius Versus Centigrade. 'Between' Versus 'Among'
Celsius Versus Centigrade: Anders Celsius was a Swedish astronomer who invented a thermometer based on the boiling point and freezing point of water. We know a…
May 12, 2016·8m