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
A vast number of words have surprising origins. We talked about some today, including "scientist," "impressionist," "beatnik," and "paradigm."
A vast number of words have surprising origins. We talked about some today with author Ralph Keyes, including "scientist," "impressionist," "beatnik," and…
- Grammar Girl
'Normalcy' or 'Normality'? A Punctuation Question from a Famous Movie Line. Taco Cats.
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 normalcy or…
- Grammar Girl
It's Not Just March. Other Months Have 'Ides' Too! Are You on the Pig's Back Today?
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, we also…
- Grammar Girl
813 - The History of National Grammar Day. My Favorite Resources. Anniversity
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 help you get…
- Grammar Girl
812 - Kibosh. Sidekicks. Misolation.
The origin of "kibosh" is a long-standing mystery in the English language. Yiddish? A whip? Clog-makers tools? We investigate. Also, sidekicks play interesting…
- Grammar Girl
811 - Inigo Montoya and Coining Phrases. 'Dose' or 'Dosage'?
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 my…
- Grammar Girl
810 - Words out of Time. Why 'OK' Is OK.
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 at the…
- Grammar Girl
809 - Rethink Descriptions Like 'Diabetic.' The Wonderful World of Italics,
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 might be…
- Grammar Girl
808 - 6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know. 'Imply' or 'Infer'?
6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know. 'Imply' or 'Infer'? Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Join the…
- Grammar Girl
807 - Why We Call Them Sea 'Shanties.' A Trick to Remember How to Spell 'Conscience'
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…
- Grammar Girl
806 - Why You Should Try Fanfiction. How to Find Tricky Pronunciations.
Why writing fanfiction can make you a better overall writer. Plus, my tricks for figuring out tricky pronunciations. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular…
- Grammar Girl
805 - 'Acedia': the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now
"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 regular…
- Grammar Girl
804 - Another Think/Thing Coming. 'Sanction,' 'Cleave,' 'Dust,' and More
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…
- Grammar Girl
803 - Pandemic, COVID, anderhalvemetersamenleving: 2020 Words of the Year
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 the 2020…
- Grammar Girl
802 - Brandon Sanderson on Writing, Character and Place Names, and the Future
Brandon shares funny stories about character and place names gone wrong, his writing struggles, and what the future holds for his work. Subscribe to the…
- Grammar Girl
801 - How to Get Your 'Just Deserts.' Comma After 'But'? Why?
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 shouldn't…
- Grammar Girl
800 - What Did You Step On? And Is That a Desert or a Dessert?
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 can't…
- Grammar Girl
799 - What 'Whence' Has to Do with 'Where Are You At?' 'Regime' or 'Regimen'?
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,' 'regimen,'…
- Grammar Girl
798 - Why 'Hilarious' Is Funnier than 'Hysterical.' How to Start a Novel.
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 hashtag…
- Grammar Girl
797 - Why Dickens' Character Names Are So Revealing. 'Continual' or 'Continuous'?
What Dickens can teach you about choosing your characters' names. Plus, how to remember the frustratingly different meanings of "continuous" and "continual."…
- Grammar Girl
796 - What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe?
What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe? Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl…
- Grammar Girl
795 - Why People Use Scare Quotes. 'Dialog' or 'Dialogue'?
We have some theories on why people write things such as "'fresh' meat." Plus, we dig in to the two spellings of "dialog" (or is that "dialogue"?). Read the…
- Grammar Girl
794 - Create Characters as Great as Hamlet. How to Format Internal Dialogue
6 steps to help you create gripping characters. Plus, we talk about how to format internal dialogue: italics, quotation marks, or nothing? Read the transcript…
- Grammar Girl
793 - Why Journalists Use Misspellings Like 'Lede' and 'Spox'
Journalists "bury the lede," not the "lead." But why do they spell it that way? And what do HTK, TK, and CQ stand for? From "hed" to "spox," here's all the…
- Grammar Girl
792 - A Totally, Like, Bitchin' Podcast About 'Like'
It's not lazy and it's not just filler, but using "like" too much can still get you in trouble. Read the transcript: Like Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag…
- Grammar Girl
791 - 'Although' Versus 'While.' Why We Write with Cliches (and How to Stop)
What happens when I discover that my pet peeve is wrong? Also, why do we write with cliches? Should we stop, and if so, how? Read the transcript: Although…
- Grammar Girl
790 - 'Laureate' Is Good. Why Is 'Resting on Your Laurels' Bad? 'Smarmy.'
If getting laurels is good, and being a Nobel laureate is good, how did we get to "resting on your laurels" being bad? Also, we learn that the word "smarmy"…
- Grammar Girl
789 - How to Make Your Readers Laugh. 'Whoa' or 'Woah'?
Believe it or not, there are actually rules to being funny. Also, do you think "woah" is a separate word from "whoa"? Some people do, and they think it has a…
- Grammar Girl
788 - Why 'Out of Pocket' Means Both 'Inappropriate' and 'Unavailable'
People have been asking about the "unavailable" meaning of "out of pocket" for decades, but there's also an "inappropriate" meaning that is spreading. Read the…
- Grammar Girl
787 - Why We Associate Political Parties with the Colors Red and Blue
Nick and Hannah explain "red" and "blue," the origin of "POTUS," why the Declaration of Independence is the greatest break-up letter ever written, and more…
- Grammar Girl
786 - 'Doomscrolling' (OK, Doomer). 'Each Other' or 'One Another'?
Whether you call it "doomscrolling" or "doomsurfing," it's not your fault that you feel compelled to do it. "Doom" has an interesting history though. Also, in…
- Grammar Girl
785 - 'Gantlet' or 'Gauntlet'? Do You Want to Say 'Had Went'?
Have you been told to write "run the GANTLET"? Here's why you shouldn't. Also, editor Ben Yagoda explains why he's so tempted to use "had went" instead of "had…
- Grammar Girl
784 - A Historical Tip for Remembering When to Use 'Historical.' Put More Thought into Your Punctuation.
Kamala Harris's selection as Joe Biden's running mate is important, significant, and a number of firsts, but should we call it "historic" or "historical"?…
- Grammar Girl
783 - How Hurricanes Get Their Names. When You Should Avoid Using Contractions.
Isaias. Mitch. Andrew. Jimena. How hurricanes get their names, and why you'll see some names twice and others never again. Also, have you ever heard that you…
- Grammar Girl
782 - What are those dots over letters? Why does 'money' have a plural, and how do you spell it?
What are those double dots over letters in English? Why does "money" have a plural, and how do you spell it? Read the transcripts: Diaeresis. 'Monies' or…
- Grammar Girl
781 - Blursday or Whensday? Middle Grade Versus Young Adult Fiction
Blursday is a popular word to use when you don't know what day of the week it is. It captures that disoriented feeling when everything is a blur. And our…
- Grammar Girl
780 - Which Comes First? Who or Where?
We started to wonder about the question words in the phrase "Who does what and goes where when." Read the transcript. Use the hashtag #WhereIListen to show me…
- Grammar Girl
779 - How You Can Help the OED. Capitalizing 'Black.' How Playwriting Techniques Can Improve Your Writing.
Imagine the bragging rights: The OED needs your help antedating words. Why you should capitalize "Black." How playwriting techniques can improve your writing…
- Grammar Girl
778 - Do We Say 'Red Skies at Night, Sailor's Delight' Because of the Saharan Dust Plumes? Also, 'Yoiks!'
The Saharan dust plumes can make the sky red, but they aren't the source of the old saying "Red skies at night, sailor's delight. Red skies in the morning…
- Grammar Girl
777 - How to Write Fight Scenes (and How to Get Started as a Fiction Editor)
Fiction editor Joshua Essoe gives his best tips for writing fight scenes (hint: it's not about the fighting). And he describes how he got his first editing…
- Grammar Girl
776 - Why a Detective Searched for 'Clews' in a 1929 Novel. ‘Systemic’ or ‘Systematic’?
Our writer was surprised when he came across "clew" instead of "clue" in a detective novel from 1929, and the explanation includes a great story about the…
- Grammar Girl
775 - Why We Talk About 'Bad Apples.' 'A Few' Versus 'a Couple'
We started to wonder why people seem to forget the second half of the saying about bad apples. Plus, we settle a dispute about the difference between "a…
- Grammar Girl
774 - Roy Peter Clark on Civic Clarity
Roy Peter Clark has been teaching writing at the Poynter Institute since 1977 and regularly offers up some of the best writing advice I see. Today, we talked…
- Grammar Girl
773 - Postal Zones. Reenter. Bougie.
How postal zones led to ZIP codes. Why I like to put a hyphen in "re-enter." How "bougie," which today has a negative connotation, came from an older word that…
- Grammar Girl
772 - The History of ZIP Codes and Addresses (Plus How to Write Them)
If you've ever wondered how to capitalize 'ZIP Code' (or is that 'ZIP code' or 'zip code'?), this one is for you. Plus, I have an interview with Deirdre Mask…
- Grammar Girl
771 - Writing Lessons from Bad Job Applications
Our guest, Lindsay McMahon of the All Ears English podcast, recently hired and now shares the lessons she learned going through a lot of bad résumés and cover…
- Grammar Girl
770 - 'Muslim' or 'Moslem'? 'Fishfolk'? 'Fishist'? What Is the Gender-Neutral Term for 'Fisherman'?
Why do we use the new spelling "Muslim" and not the older spelling "Moslem" anymore? Also, we talk about AP Stylebook updates and end up on a fun tangent about…
- Grammar Girl
769 - Why Do We Say 'Cool Your Heels'? What's Up With 'Zhuzh'?
Here's why we say "cool your heels" and "cool your jets"—they're different! Also, we take a close look at the word "zhuzh" which means to make something more…
- Grammar Girl
768 - Why Aren't We 'Whelmed'? And Cabin 'Fever,' Anyone?
We know we can be overwhelmed. Why aren't we ever just whelmed? Also, maybe it was having cabin fever that made us start thinking about all the English idioms…
- Grammar Girl
767 - The semicolon is so much more interesting than you imagine
From 19th century grammatical duels to modern day suicide prevention campaigns, the semicolon has a long history of inspiring strong emotions. Read the…
- Grammar Girl
766 - 'Flaunt' and 'Flout.' 'Band Together.'
The word "flaunt" and "flute" are strangely related (flue of shame, anyone?), but don't use either of them to mean "flout." Read the transcripts. 'Flout' and…
- Grammar Girl
765 - Say No to Marshall Law. How 'Vaccine' Is Related to 'Cow.'
Why you could be forgiven for (briefly) getting excited about "Marshall Law." Plus, the word "vaccine" is related to cows. That's a surprise! Read the…
- Grammar Girl
764 - Skeleton Crew. Hunker Down. Uncharted. Existential.
Times are terrible, but no matter what is happening, we will always have interesting words and phrases to explore. Read the transcripts. Skeleton Crew. Hunker…
- Grammar Girl
763 - How to Write Better Email. 'Pandemic' vs. 'Epidemic.' 'Canceled' vs. 'Cancelled.'
Are you writing more email? We have seven ways to do it better. Also, we'll help you understand the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic and when you…
- Grammar Girl
762 - How to Pronounce 'Celtic.' 'Whiskey' or 'Whisky'?
Sports fans say "Seltik." Historians say "Keltik." Here's the deal. Plus, have you ever noticed that Irish whiskey and Scottish whisky are spelled differently?…
- Grammar Girl
761 - Why It's Called 'Daylight Saving Time.' The Origin of the Word 'Woman.'
We're moving our clocks forward this weekend, but do you know why we call it "daylight saving time"? Plus, I have some other time-related tips. Finally, in…
- Grammar Girl
760 - What Is Genre. 'Bangs' Versus 'Fringe.'
How to figure out which genre you love or how to describe the book you're writing so the publishing industry will understand where it fits. Also, we explain…
- Grammar Girl
759 - What Does ‛Mardi Gras’ Mean? "Drive to Work" Versus "Drive Home"
It’s the end of February, which means Mardi Gras is almost here! When we think of Mardi Gras, we picture parties, parades, and beads. But did you ever wonder…
- Grammar Girl
758 - Why 'XOXO' Means 'Hugs and Kisses'
You may write "XOXO" to means "hugs and kisses," but do you know how those symbols get their meaning? LINKS AND SPONSORS | Learn how you can get my LinkedIn…
- Grammar Girl
757 - The days of the week are names you've known your whole life, but do you know their origin?
Saturday and Tuesday come from different places. The days of the week are names you've known your whole life, but have you ever wondered about their origin?…