Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing   /     When 'nice' was bad and 'bully' was good. Is 'preorder' redundant? High-intensity transformer.

Summary

948. Would you believe "bully" once meant "lover" and "nice" meant "ignorant"? Join me as we explore the surprising twists in the histories of common words, including the words "amok" and "bimbo." Plus, why you should preorder books to help authors succeed even though some people find it illogical.

Subtitle
948. Would you believe "bully" once meant "lover" and "nice" meant "ignorant"? Join me as we explore the surprising twists in the histories of common words, including the words "amok" and "bimbo." Plus, why you should preorder books to help authors succ
Duration
00:16:28
Publishing date
2023-10-03 09:00
Link
https://www.stitcher.com
Contributors
  Mignon Fogarty, Valerie Fridland
author  
Enclosures
https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/media.blubrry.com/grammargirl/stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/e7b2fc84-d82d-4b4d-980c-6414facd80c3/episodes/e01fac3e-0176-46df-92c2-606750c4e0bc/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=e7b2fc84-d82d-4b4d-9
audio/mpeg

Shownotes

948. Think you know where words like "bully," "nice," and "bimbo" come from? Think again! Join me as we explore surprising origins of common words. We'll see how terms like "bully" and "nice" changed meaning over time, how "bimbo" switched genders, and where oddly violent words like "amok" and "berserk" originated. Plus, did you know "soon" once meant "immediately"? Learn these twists and turns in the curious histories of familiar words!

Plus, we look at the publishing industry meaning of "preordering" books and how it helps authors get on bestseller lists, even though some find the term illogical. And explain why you should preorder books to support your author friends.

| Transcript.

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