Five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing and feed... 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
884. People often ask why people say "no worries" or "no problem" instead of "you're welcome," and we actually found an answer!... more