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.
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Episodes
- Grammar Girl
How Spellers Tackle the 'Dreaded Schwa'
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 pronouncer for…
- Grammar Girl
Why "'Em" Isn't Short for "Them." The Subjunctive. Sussies.
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 pronouns. Plus…
- Grammar Girl
Tomi Adeyemi: The Writing Life and Her New Writing Course.
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 great…
- Grammar Girl
Scissors, Jeans, and Other Nouns That Are Always Plural. Flat Adverbs. Boteep.
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…
- Grammar Girl
If Earth Looks Like a Blue Marble, Why Is Earth Day Associated with the Color Green? Also, 'Funnest.'
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. In honor…
- Grammar Girl
You Know. Doppelganger. Trademarks. Funnily. Chicken Milk.
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 "doppelganger," how…
- Grammar Girl
I Cannot Tell a Lie (but I Can Mislead)! And Sometimes People Do It With Percentages.
870. We look at the linguistic difference between lying and misleading, and then because people often lie with numbers, we look at the difference between…
- Grammar Girl
How Aphasia Causes Difficulty Speaking. Chairdrobe.
869. Prodded by Bruce Willis's family's announcement that he is leaving acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, we revisited language disorders, and the…
- Grammar Girl
Why Tired People Talk About Being 'Out of Spoons.' Why Nouns Are More Complicated Than You May Think.
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 concept…
- Grammar Girl
Barracking, Sheilas and Shouts: How the Irish Influenced Australian English
"Barracking," "sheilas" and "shouts": How the Irish influenced Australian English. Plus, what makes "NASA" different from "FBI." | Subscribe to the newsletter…
- Grammar Girl
The Oxford Comma. And Should You Start a Sentence with 'And'?
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 punctuation…
- Grammar Girl
Is 'Materiel' Just a Fancy Pronunciation of 'Material'? Are Binomials the Same Across Languages?
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 and…
- Grammar Girl
Why Do We Cringe at 'Pepper and Salt'? Why 'Square' Is Uncool. Quickquish.
"Sticks and stones." "Bride and groom." "Heads or tails." Some word pairs almost always appear in a specific order, and linguists have been investigating why…
- Grammar Girl
What's Square About a Square Meal? How to Use Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces. Guck.
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't know…
- Grammar Girl
Are People Using 'Commiserate' Wrong? The Origin of (the Word) 'Influenza.' Hersband.
How the "Witch of Wall Street" relates to the word "commiserate." Plus, the interesting origin of "influenza" and other disease names. | Subscribe to the…
- Grammar Girl
Do You Call In, Out, or Off Sick? How Kids Learn Language. Hexaboobiated.
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 where…
- Grammar Girl
Tips for Learning a New Language: The Fluent Show
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 learning a…
- Grammar Girl
Why 'Tiny' Sounds Smaller Than 'Huge.' Nixing the Horrid 'Of.' Kokopelli.
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 can often…
- Grammar Girl
'Strollout,' 'Insurrection,' 'Yassify,' and Other Words of the Year for 2021
"Strollout," "insurrection," "yassify," "hard pants" and other words of the year for 2021. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. |Watch my…
- Grammar Girl
Cardsharp. The Old-New Singular 'They.' Grignug.
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 pronoun…
- Grammar Girl
Questions, Questions, So Many Questions!
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 string them…
- Grammar Girl
Is "Milk and Cookies" One Thing or Two? A New Language Term: The Santaback. Shoedabakers.
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 hope…
- Grammar Girl
How Lori Rader-Day Wrote a Historical Novel About War Evacuees in Agatha Christie's Vacation Home
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 having…
- Grammar Girl
Pretending to Be British. How to Use Ellipses. Spiders.
|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 Catherine…
- Grammar Girl
Shibboleth. Greeting Card Grammar. Bunkaree.
Does your group use shibboleths? Plus, I'll help you avoid common embarrassing greeting card mistakes. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates…
- Grammar Girl
How to Use a Semicolon, Amirite? Partu.
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 likely to…
- Grammar Girl
Penultimate. Veni, Vidi, Vici. Smidge.
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 Caesar and…
- Grammar Girl
New Words from WWII. How Places Like Featherstonehaugh Get Their Names. Uncoming.
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 being…
- Grammar Girl
Editing an Anthology: 'Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed'
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 Tongues…
- Grammar Girl
Is That a Tombstone, Gravestone, or Headstone? Why Is the Sound of a Human Scream So Terrifying?
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 has a…
- Grammar Girl
Using Present Tense in a Story About the Past. Beck and Call. Tie-Dye Trees.
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." This…
- Grammar Girl
Surprise! These Names Are Trademarks. How to Write 'Dos and Don'ts' (or Is That 'Do's and Don'ts'?). Wording Your Mixes.
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 spellings…
- Grammar Girl
The Hedonometer and Your Feelings. What Does 'Schnozz' Mean?
Researchers and companies are harnessing computers to identify the emotions behind our written words. While sentiment analysis is far from perfect, it manages…
- Grammar Girl
How Do You Pronounce 'Tomato'? Why Is 'Chiropractic' Singular. Fish.
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…
- Grammar Girl
The Power of Very Specific Words, with Joel Schwartzberg
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 your…
- Grammar Girl
How to Really Talk Like a Pirate. When Do You Need a Comma Before 'Because'?
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 us…
- Grammar Girl
Why and When 'Very Unique' Is Wrong. Capitalizing 'Delta Variant' (or Not). Happy to You.
Instead of grinding your teeth about "very unique," pat yourself on the back for recognizing a widespread case of lexical broadening. Plus, we talk about why…
- Grammar Girl
Naked Idioms. Short-Lived. Capitalizing Earth. Hector Protector.
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 capitalize…
- Grammar Girl
The Origin of 'Honeymoon.' 'Where' Versus 'In Which.' Fevesteter.
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. Watch my…
- Grammar Girl
Weird Words for Alcohol. Starting a Sentence with 'However.' Fam-ished.
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 with…
- Grammar Girl
How Storytelling Makes a Difference (and How to Do It Well)
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 (and then we…
- Grammar Girl
What's the Opposite of Deja Vu? Commas Between Adjectives
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 commas…
- Grammar Girl
The Best Stories from 15 Years of Grammar Girl
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 Advanced AP…
- Grammar Girl
What the Two Spellings of Stationary/ery Have to Do with Booksellers. Why Pronunciations Change.
"Stationary" and "stationery" have the same ultimate origin, but they evolved to have different meanings and one became tied to paper goods. Also, a recent…
- Grammar Girl
'Fish' or 'Fishes'? Why Do We Call Out 'Nothing' as 'Bupkis'?
"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 mean…
- Grammar Girl
'If' Versus 'Whether.' Why We Say 'The Exception That Proves the Rule.'
"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 wondered why we…
- Grammar Girl
Trundle, Amble, Roam, and Shamble. How Some Preposition Use Has Changed Over Time.
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 "The car…
- Grammar Girl
Pedantic Nonsense Up with Which I Will Not Put! 'Discreet' or 'Discrete'?
Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Grammar Pop iOS…
- Grammar Girl
Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction: Right or Wrong? Good 'Subpar' and Bad 'Subpar.'
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 Whitman…
- Grammar Girl
How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Grumple.
How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the…
- Grammar Girl
What Made 'Friends' Funny. How Cicadas Got Their Name. Dog Replacer.
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 on its…
- Grammar Girl
Is 'Graduated College' Wrong? Five Wonderful Latin Phrases.
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. Subscribe…
- Grammar Girl
'Bring,' 'Take,' and 'Carry.' 'The Queen's Gambit.' Sweepy Thing.
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 help us…
- Grammar Girl
Writing Dialogue. 'Associate Degree' or 'Associate's Degree'? Wiffy.
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 updates…
- Grammar Girl
'Ketchup' or 'Catsup'? How to Punctuate Questions. Gmoing Gmoing.
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 also look at…
- Grammar Girl
What Does ‘Op-Ed’ Really Mean? The Perfect Paragraph Length. Items.
"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 my…
- Grammar Girl
The Intrusive "Of." What Makes English Weird.
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 weird…
- Grammar Girl
How to Write Faster. The Origin of the Odd Letter W
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's a…
- Grammar Girl
'Borrow' and 'Lend.' When to Use 'Nor.' Boncho.
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."…
- Grammar Girl
Squirrelly Animal Verbs. 'People,' 'Peoples,' and 'Persons': Why It Matters.
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 recommended…