Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

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Episodes

Date Title & Description Contributors
2024-05-30

  Why is this a question? with Paul Anthony Jones

990. Have you ever wondered why English doesn't have gender like Spanish and French? Which languages are the hardest to learn (and why)? And why a Q is always followed by a U? We have the answers to those questions and more this week from Paul Anthony ... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Paul Anthony Jones author
2024-05-28

  What is a Word? Target moments.

989. What is a word? Does "that's" count as one word or two? In this excerpt from Paul Anthony Jones' new book "Why Is This a Question," we look at how things like plurals, compound words, and contractions make defining the word "word" a tricky exercis... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Paul Anthony Jones author
2024-05-23

  How a special dictionary kept soldiers connected during WWII, with Peter Sokolowski

988. Peter Sokolowski, an editor at Merriam-Webster, goes through the fascinating history of the Armed Services Editions, a series of books published during World War II for distribution among the troops. We look at the special problems of wartime publ... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Peter Sokolowski author
2024-05-21

  Why some sentences have double subjects. The story behind the old F-like letter S. Schwen schwen on dill.

987. This week, we look at why people sometimes double their subjects, writing sentences such as "John, he bought a car," and when it's OK (and not OK) to do so. Plus, we talk about the medial S, a strange F-like letter that makes an S-sound and shows ... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Neal Whitman, Samantha Enslen author
2024-05-16

  Efficiency hacks for writers and editors with Erin Brenner

985. Erin Brenner, author of "The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors," shares time-saving tips including the best practices for using Word, creating macros, and using automation tools like Zapier. You'll also learn about starting and growing a freelan... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Erin Brenner author
2024-05-14

  We found the story behind "whim wham for a mucket"!

985. This week, we look at the world of whimsical words, including the origins and meanings of terms like "dinkus," "gadzook," "petrichor" and the phrase "whim-wham for a goose's bridle." Plus, I have a quick tip about when to capitalize "mom" and "dad... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Michaela Dunn author
2024-05-09

  Words, coffee, and urban planning: Eli Burnstein on the Dictionary of Fine Distinctions

984. This week, we talk about the subtle differences between words such as "stock" or "broth," "street" or "boulevard," "maze" or "labyrinth" and more with Eli Burnstein, author of "The Dictionary of Fine Distinctions." Confusion about colors got him s... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Eli Burnstein author
2024-05-07

  Skunked words. The power of pronouns. Quigleys

983. This week, we explore "skunked" words — terms going through hotly disputed meaning changes. We look at the debate between prescriptivists who stick to traditional meanings and descriptivists who accept new usages and what you should do with these ... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Valerie Fridland, Susan K. Herman author
2024-05-02

  Air worms and fire breathing dragons: Old English animal stories with Hana Videen

982. This week, we delve into the fascinating world of Old English with medievalist Hana Videen, author of "The Deorhord."  We'll uncover the secrets of Old English animal names, from "walking weaver" for spider to the ominous "unland" for a whale's de... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Hana Videen author
2024-04-30

  When (and How) Should You Cite AI? 'Critters,' 'Varmints,' and Beyond. Choobers.

981. Major style guides now have advice on when and how you should cite AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. We look at what you need to include in your writing so you're handling this kind of information credibly and professionally. Then, ... 		  Mignon Fogarty, Samantha Enslen author