1040. The downsides of AI bother me a lot — job loss, energy use, and the content tsunami. But I... more

1039. People are saying "I mean" more lately, and we explain what it ... means! Plus, we look at why... more

1038. Chicago Manual of Style editors Mary Laur and Russell Harper dish on the changes they wanted in CMOS that... more

1037. This week, we answer a few questions that have popped up from previous episodes: What's up with the "positive... more

1036. Erin McKean runs an entire online dictionary with the goal of having ALL the English words. But Wordnik is... more

1035. This week, we look at famous and amazing first sentences in novels to understand what makes them so compelling,... more

1034. First, we look at how writers should use trademarked terms like "Kleenex" and "Google," including when to capitalize them... more

1033. Last year, Dragonfly Editorial had a "no AI" policy, but since then, they've been experimenting with the technology, and... more

1032. First, we explore why children pick up languages faster than adults. You’ll learn about the critical period when young... more

1031. This week, Fiona McPherson from the Oxford English Dictionary talks about the latest “beer” words added to the OED,... more

1030. This week, we look at why "hang" has two past-tense forms: "hanged" and "hung." (And why I keep messing... more

1029. This week, I talk with Jennifer Lynn Barnes, author of the bestselling "Inheritance Games" series and a former psychology... more

1028. This week, we look at the weird situation when you want to add a suffix (such as "-less") to... more

1027. This week, I talk with forensic linguist Natalie Schilling about how people's language gives them away — in manifestos,... more

1026. This week, we look at the origins of words for men, including the ancient roots of "man," the surprising... more

1025. Have you ever wondered where meeting terms like “quorum” or “proxy” come from? In this episode, Jim Slaughter looks... more

1024. It often sounds weird if you try to end a sentence with a contraction like "you're" and "I'm." We... more

1023. I felt like I could write anything after this discussion with Anne Lamott about painful first drafts, beating perfectionism,... more

1022. This week, we look at election terms like “president-elect” and “lame duck” and how they're used during a U.S.... more

1021. This week, Christopher Penn talks about the role of AI tools like ChatGPT in writing and editing. We... more

1020. This week, we shed light on quirky restaurant slang like “kill it” and “Chef Mike.” Then, we tackle the... more

1019. This week, Jonathan Small, author of "Write About Now," shares what he's learned about the common struggles writers face... more

1018. This week, we look at the meanings of the word "board," including the differences between board games, table games,... more

1017. How did British words find their way into American English? Author Ben Yagoda shares insights with us from his... more

1016. This week, we look at why some verbs are so irregular their forms don't even seem related, like "go"... more

1015. A rare chance to hear directly from the editors of the Chicago Manual of Style! The CMOS (pronounced "sea... more

1014. We debunk misconceptions about gendered language, tracing the etymology of words like "cockamamie" and "gynecology." We also look at... more

1013. How can fiction writers create diverse, authentic characters without relying on stereotypes? Alex Temblador, author of "Writing An Identity... more

1012. Most words are different in different languages, but water from steeped leaves has only two main names: tea and... more

1011. This week, we look at language patterns that may indicate someone is lying, such as how often they say... more

1010. We'd never be accused of belling the cat, but we did let our curiosity get the best of us... more

1009. If you think apostrophes are confusing today, wait until you hear how people used them 100s of years ago!... more

1008. We look at why you have to use "the" before some nouns and not others, and then we dive... more

1007. Why do Adele and Susan Boyle sound American when they sing? We have answers. Plus, with all the talk... more

1006. We look at why the pronoun "I" seems to take plural verbs, and then we talk about a grammar... more

1005. You asked, so I have a brief history of English from invading Germanic tribes to the Modern English era.... more

1004. This week, Karen Yin, author of "The Conscious Style Guide," discusses the concept of conscious language and its importance... more

1003. This week, we look at zero — what a weird number! It has two plurals, sometimes you use the... more

1002. This week, Mignon talks with author Martha Brockenbrough about the good and bad sides of using artificial intelligence for... more

1001. This week, we explore the often-overlooked rules for ordering adjectives in English and when to use commas between them.... more

1000. In this special 1000th episode, I take the hot seat to answer your questions. Hear what made the first... more

999. This week, we look at what shaped early American English, from Native American words to Noah Webster's spelling reforms.... more

998. This week, I talked with Samantha and Greg Enslen, who recently purchased their hometown newspaper, the "Tippecanoe Gazette" in... more

997. This week, I help you learn (and remember!) the difference between "which" and "that" with practical tips and examples... more

994. This week, you'll learn about the rich linguistic history of African American English with Dr. Sonja Lanehart, an advisor... more

995. This week, we look at when to use parentheses, dashes, and commas and how the choice can change the... more

994. This week, I sat down with the prolific "Dune" author Kevin J. Anderson and the famed "Dune" narrator Scott... more

993. This week, we cover the strategic use of sign language by the Bene Gesserit in the 'Dune' movies, including... more

992. It's been 100 years since the crossword puzzle took America by storm in 1924. This week, Ben Zimmer tells... more

991. This week, we trace the origin and meaning of the word "dog," from its mysterious beginning to its current... more

990. Have you ever wondered why English doesn't have gender like Spanish and French? Which languages are the hardest to... more

989. What is a word? Does "that's" count as one word or two? In this excerpt from Paul Anthony Jones'... more

988. Peter Sokolowski, an editor at Merriam-Webster, goes through the fascinating history of the Armed Services Editions, a series of... more

987. This week, we look at why people sometimes double their subjects, writing sentences such as "John, he bought a... more

986. Erin Brenner, author of "The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors," shares time-saving tips including the best practices for using... more

985. This week, we look at the world of whimsical words, including the origins and meanings of terms like "dinkus,"... more

984. This week, we talk about the subtle differences between words such as "stock" and "broth," "street" and "boulevard," "maze"... more

983. This week, we explore "skunked" words — terms going through hotly disputed meaning changes. We look at the debate... more

982. Delve into the fascinating world of Old English with medievalist Hana Videen, author of "The Deorhord." We'll uncover... more

981. Major style guides now have advice on when and how you should cite AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude,... more

980. This week, I talk with with Anne Curzan about the fascinating world of language evolution, her new book, "Says... more

979. Explore the fascinating origins of punctuation and how it evolved to shape written language. Plus, learn techniques to untangle... more

978. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, Charles Duhigg, as we talk about mastering the art of communication and... more

977. This week, we cover the latest AP Stylebook updates that were just revealed at the ACES conference. From the... more

976. This week, we dive into the "cativerse" and explore the vocabulary, grammar, and spelling habits of our furry friends.... more

975. This week, I learned all about audiobook narration from David H. Lawrence XVII, who is launching a new program... more

974. How does aging affect our ability to understand language? From the challenges of processing complex sentences to the resilience... more

973. "Oppenheimer" leads us to wonder about the "nucular" pronunciation of "nuclear." And why do people have that second capital... more

972. How did humans evolve from grunting ancestors to masters of language and poetry? This week, we explore fascinating theories... more

971. Linguists have traced modern languages like English and Sanskrit back thousands of years to a single Proto-Indo-European source. This... more

970. We answer a listener question about the difference between "addictive" and "addicting," and then we look at how to... more

969. From "wolkenkratzer" in German to "flea market" in English, direct translations called calques show how languages borrow from each... more

968. We explain why Taylor Swift's album title doesn't need an apostrophe and how the preposition "in" signals passion.

967. Should you say "a honor" or "an honor"? It's trickier than you think! We explore why articles depend on... more

966. We explore the rise and fall of the letter H: Debates over its name ("haitch" or "aitch"?) and why... more

965. It's a listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about "canceled," "another think/thing coming," zero plurals such as "fish,"... more

964. From Nietzsche's writing ball to word processors and beyond, we look at how technology can change the way people... more

963. Strunk and White said to omit needless words, but sometimes "redundant" words can serve a meaningful purpose. Plus, we... more

962. We explore why phrases like "time flies" and "fast approaching" reveal deeper perspectives on time — is it us... more

961. Prompting, hallucinating, and more! Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," joins me for a word-of-the-year chat. Hang out... more

960. Some English letters are seen but not heard. In fact, more than half the letters in our alphabet are... more

959. Learn why human language goes beyond basic communication to allow spontaneous creativity, expression of identity, and leadership in linguistic... more

958. We trace the history, usage, and meaning behind identifiers such as "Hispanic," "Chicano," "Latino," "Latina," "Latinx," and "Latine." Plus,... more

957. We trace the linguistic history behind "house" and "mansion" to uncover how these two humble words for dwellings grew... more

956. How did terms like "stereotype," "boilerplate," and "typecast" make the leap from specialist printing vocabulary to widespread figurative language?... more

955. This week, we're looking at the history behind "Black Friday" and other black idioms, plus what happens when the... more

954. "Irregardless" isn’t going away anytime soon. Take a deep breath while we dig into this hated word’s history. And... more

953. In honor of Veterans Day, Ben Yagoda tells us tales of military words that marched from the British lexicon... more

952. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and clichés—and should we give "adulting" a break? We also trace the... more

951. What's the difference between terror and horror? Why was the word for "bear" so scary that it is lost... more

950. Nowthen, a town with an odd little name, helps us understand the word "namesake," and then I have some... more

949. Topic sentences aren't just for students! We have real-life, grown-up examples to help you write better business proposals, blog... more

948. Would you believe "bully" once meant "lover" and "nice" meant "ignorant"? Join me as we explore the surprising twists... more

947. Do you wish you could think on your feet faster? Well, Stanford business professor and communication expert Matt Abrahams... more

946. It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, which brings to mind "Pirates of the Caribbean," but you can actually pronounce... more

945. What was the famous Usage Panel from the American Heritage Dictionary and how did the panel's opinions influence dictionary... more

944. Today, we untangle the often confusing web of writing styles. We'll explore the benefits of loose writing in fiction,... more

943. Join us for a fascinating romp through the evolution of phrases like "you know," "right?" and "I mean" from... more

942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often... more

941. Whether you've been betrayed by autocorrect or your own fingers, we've all made typos. But we have tricks you... more

940. Pork bacon, manual transmissions, and acoustic guitars: retronyms help us describe the original form of something that has now... more

939. When I say the word "tattoo," you probably think of body art, but "tattoo" has another meaning that's related... more

938. Love it or hate it, the exclamation point has been on the red carpet lately because we're using it... more

In this special bonus episode, I sat down with Laura Adams and Monica Reinagel, who host Money Girl and Nutrition... more

937. Never be confused about when to use "less" and "fewer" again. Plus, have you ever wondered why our thumb... more

936. Have you ever wondered about the nuanced differences between "aspirational" and "inspirational"? Today, we look at a newer, more... more

935. Ever been puzzled by the difference between "slow down" and "slow up"? Curious about how they can possibly mean... more

934. Ever wondered why "whyever" isn't as popular as "wherever," "however," or "whenever"? Join me as we delve into the... more

933. Have you ever looked at a word, and it didn't seem like a real word anymore? It's a specific... more

932. Have you ever thought it would be fun to be a fiction editor? "The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction"... more

931. Darth Vader wasn't the best father (understatement!), but his name is a wonderful jumping off point to discuss the... more

930. How YOU doin? Today we’re going to MacGyver up some fun memories and tips. And then we'll look at... more

929. While we were looking into why we use the word "score" to mean "twenty," our minds were blown by... more

928. Listen to the interview that got me playing Wordle again. Lynne Murphy shared all sorts of things you probably... more

927. Whether you're a bird brain or a wise old owl, you'll love this week's episode as we fight an... more

926. You may remember being told not to start sentences with "there are," but do you know why? We have... more

925. The existence of the manchineel tree does NOT beg the question of how many different ways a tree can... more

924. What if I told you that you actually should use "uh" and "um" when you're giving a talk? And... more

923. America's writing coach, Roy Peter Clark, shares his wisdom about the five things every writer he's ever taught wants... more

922. "A dozen of eggs" sounds weird, but why? Rabbits performing violent acts are a common scene in medieval marginalia.... more

921. Taxes, and the words for them, go back all the way to ancient Egypt. Plus, I have much more... more

920. Once you start thinking about it, it's weird that we have both "a" and "an." It gets even weirder... more

919. Rebracketing is a fascinating process that gives us more words than you might imagine, even words from French and... more

918. Since "drop" can mean both "to release" and "to cancel," it can get confusing. We look at how... more

917. For National Grammar Day, we answer one of the most common questions I get: How can I improve my... more

916. Grant Faulkner, author of "The Art of Brevity" and executive director of NaNoWriMo talks with us about how writing... more

915. Love is much more than romance, and different languages reveal universal truths about the different kinds of love. Plus,... more

914. To mark the 50th anniversary of "Schoolhouse Rock," the Saturday morning cartoon that taught millions of children about grammar,... more

913. This week brought us a silly kerfuffle in which the AP may have insulted France. Plus, we investigate the... more

912. We look at who the Teddy is in "teddy bears" and reveal why the Brothers Grimm, from fairytales, were... more

911. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we cover a bunch of interesting things about labels such as... more

910. The final Grammar Girl word-of-the-year vote came down to "inflation" and "quiet quitting." We look at the interesting... more

909. In honor of 2023, we’ll talk about writing dates. And then we talk about a fascinating study about... more

908. You had word-related questions after watching the World Cup. We have answers! And for the holidays, we look at... more

907. The fabulous Kory Stamper, author of "Word by Word," joins me this week to talk about words of the... more

906. A'wassailing. Noel. Mistletoe. Trolling the ancient Yuletide carol, and more. We look into the wonderful words of Christmas and... more

905. Bonus Episode! You helped solve the mystery of my father's favorite childhood book. I also share quick and dirty... more

904. "Through" and "throughout" may seem interchangeable, but they're not. We have some creative memory tricks to help you remember... more

903. A listener heard some jargon, and then got annoyed by "said" jargon, so we explored why. Plus, who... more

902. Language reflects culture, so it's no surprise that giving thanks hundreds of years ago was different from giving thanks... more

901. WWII spawned a bunch of new words, including "boffin" and "bonkers." We'll look into the history of these fun... more

900. The story of the @ symbol is much bigger than email. In fact, it was used for hundreds of... more

899. Believe it or not, "magick" isn't just a funky way of spelling "magic." The two spellings have different meanings.... more

898. Randall Munroe joined me this week to talk about his language-themed xkcd cartoons, his simple-language project Up Goer V,... more

897. Have you ever written yourself into a "that that" or a "had had" situation and wondered how you got... more

896. If you've ever wondered why we pronounce the "-ed" at the end of "wicked" (and "jagged," "beloved" and more),... more

895. A listener asked why he's hearing people refer to men as "widows," and we found a surprising history. Also,... more

894. Whether you're getting ready for National Novel Writing Month or just want to watch movies or read novels with... more

893. You may be surprised by the origin of the split infinitive "rule" and by the times they are OK...or... more

892. We recently got a question about why people use a type of double-verb construction, such as "We might could... more

891. If you're like me, the first segment about accent hallucination will blow your mind. And then after we recover,... more

890. John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com, talks with Mignon about a bunch of fun new words and... more

889. Splooting squirrels have taken the internet by storm. We look at where this fun word comes from and how... more

888. This week we take a fascinating look at how highly gendered languages are dealing with the drive to become... more

887. An amazing study shows that tool use and language are connected in the brain and shows how using one... more

886. The delightful Ellen Jovin of the Grammar Table (you may have seen her sitting on the street answering grammar... more

885. It's time for our quarterly listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about the words "ripe," "lede," "prevent," "awesome,"... more

884. People often ask why people say "no worries" or "no problem" instead of "you're welcome," and we actually found... more

883. The numbers sections of style books finally pushed me over the edge, and I have some stories you won't... more

882. For Independence Day, we look at the word "freedom" and the surprising words that came from the same roots.... more

881. What's up with the fancy-schmancy "ahnt" pronunciation of the word "aunt"? And why are the rules about capitalizing cocktail... more

880. "Father" as a word shows how we humans love to extend our metaphors. Did you know it was only... more

879. Are people from Liverpool really called "Liverpudlians"? Where does the name "Tar Heel" come from? We have the answers... more

878. This week, we look at what makes wisdom teeth so smart, how to properly write the name of your... more

877. Where’d "thou" go? And will it ever make a comeback?

876. You'll never view spellers in the bee asking questions the same way again after you learn about the schwa... more

875. When you say "Go get 'em!" you think that's short for "Go get them," but you're wrong! We look... more

874. With her book "Children of Blood and Bone" spending 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, Tomi... more

873. Today, we'll talk about some weird nouns that are always plural, and then we'll go two-dimensional and talk about... more

872. The famous NASA "blue marble" image could have influenced people to make blue the color of environmentalism and Earth... more

871. It's "listener question extravaganza" time, so I have some quick hits on discourse markers such as "you know," where... more

870. We look at the linguistic difference between lying and misleading, and then because people often lie with numbers, we... more

869. Prodded by Bruce Willis's family's announcement that he is leaving acting after being diagnosed with aphasia, we revisited language... more

A few months ago, I started to notice people talking about spoons in a weird way, so I investigated and... more

"Barracking," "sheilas" and "shouts": How the Irish influenced Australian English. Plus, what makes "NASA" different from "FBI." | Subscribe to the newsletter... more

Have you ever wondered why it's called the "Oxford comma"? We have the answer to that and many more questions... more

A listener wondered about the word "materiel." What's its deal (and is it related to "personnel")? Plus, "pepper and salt."... more

"Sticks and stones." "Bride and groom." "Heads or tails." Some word pairs almost always appear in a specific order, and... more

The idea of a square meal goes back to the 1800s and possibly mining towns, but the word "square" itself... more

How the "Witch of Wall Street" relates to the word "commiserate." Plus, the interesting origin of "influenza" and other disease... more

People often tell me they hear others say they'll be absent from work in a different way than they're used... more

Kerstin Cable, host of "The Fluent Show" shares her tips and enthusiasm for learning new languages. We talked about what to... more

The sounds of certain words make us think of things that are big or small, round or spiky, and the... more

"Strollout," "insurrection," "yassify," "hard pants" and other words of the year for 2021. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. |Watch my... more

Was that uncle who wiped the floor with you in a card game a cardsharp or a card shark? Also,... more

I have a big metaphorical pile of questions from listeners in which the answers are too short to be a... more

Today we use milk and cookies for Santa to figure out when compound subjects are singular or plural. We also... more

Accomplished mystery writer Lori Rader-Day was drawn to the story of children who were evacuated to Agatha Christie's vacation home... more

|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 Rannus at beautifulmusic.co.uk. |Links:  https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe https://www.tiktok.com/@therealgrammargirl http://twitter.com/grammargirl http://facebook.com/grammargirl http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl

Does your group use shibboleths? Plus, I'll help you avoid common embarrassing greeting card mistakes. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular... more

Amirite? You have the tickets, don't you? Today we talk about those tiny questions at the end of sentences, what... more

In this week's podcast, we discuss why you should never call your girlfriend your penultimate friend. Plus, we have fun... more

WWII was a rich source of new words for the English language. Before the 1940s, you couldn't tell an eager... more

Today, I talked with Saraciea Fennell, who works in publishing, is behind the Bronx Book Festival, and is also the... more

The words tombstone and gravestone used to refer to large stone slabs that served as a lid for a tomb... more

Have you noticed people switching to the present tense when they're telling stories? It actually has a name: It's called... more

Many words we use every day are actually trademarks. Did you know about all the words we talked about today?... more

Researchers and companies are harnessing computers to identify the emotions behind our written words. While sentiment analysis is far from... more

In the world of great debates, there is one that has been long enduring and still keeps language prescriptivists awake... more

The author of "The Language of Leadership," Joel Schwartzberg, explains how you can make small tweaks to your language to... more

Based on the history of who was sailing the high seas, it's a good bet pirates sounded a lot more... more

Instead of grinding your teeth about "very unique," pat yourself on the back for recognizing a widespread case of lexical... more

We naked apes have been making up sayings with the word "naked" for a long time. Plus, we talk about... more

What does getting married have to do with honey and the moon? What is tricky about the word "where"? Subscribe to... more

What does "Dutch courage" mean? And 10 other weird words for alcohol. Plus, the special thing you have to pay... more

As much as we'd like to believe that people are convinced by facts, years of cognitive research show that we... more

You know about deja vu, but do you know about jemais vu, presque vu, deja lu, deja entendu, and deja... more

We've gone through a lot of stories and tips in 15 years—more than a thousand. Today, I picked a few... more

"Stationary" and "stationery" have the same ultimate origin, but they evolved to have different meanings and one became tied to... more

"Fish" really does have two plurals. Usually you want "fish," but we talk about the odd examples when "fishes" is... more