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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

From grunts to grammar. The Irish 'after doing.' The winning NGD poem!

Dodany: 12 marca 2024

972. How did humans evolve from grunting ape-like ancestors to masters of language and poetry? This week, we explore fascinating theories on the origins of human language, including the...

Where did our language start?

Dodany: 5 marca 2024

971. Linguists have traced modern languages like English and Sanskrit back thousands of years to a single Proto-Indo-European source. This week, we explore their detective work and the debates...

'Addictive' or 'addicting'? Types of nouns. Folley

Dodany: 27 lutego 2024

970. We answer a listener question about the difference between "addictive" and "addicting," and then we look at how to write compound nouns: did you visit a coffeehouse or a coffee house?|...

Tracing the origins of Miami's new English. Why it's not a 'gumballs' machine. Embassy Sweets.

Dodany: 20 lutego 2024

969. From "wolkenkratzer" in German to "flea market" in English, direct translations called calques show how languages borrow from each other. This week, we look at how these translations are...

Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Your Grammatical Approval. In Love. Foil Lump Surprise.

Dodany: 13 lutego 2024

968. This week, I expand on my comments for the New York Times about Taylor Swift's grammatically sound but apostrophe-free new album title: "The Tortured Poets Department." Plus, we dive deep into...

'A' versus 'an.' 'Larruping' rides again. Euonyms. Flavoring.

Dodany: 6 lutego 2024 - Średnia ocen: 4

967. Should you say "a honor" or "an honor"? It's trickier than you think! We explore why articles depend on sounds and regional variations, the difference between "thee" and "thuh," and your...

From 'hwhat' to 'what': Tracing a letter's disappearing act. Barkhouse.

Dodany: 30 stycznia 2024

966. We explore the rise and fall of the letter H: Debates over its name ("haitch" or "aitch"?) and why a once-prestigious pronunciation like "hwhat" now seems old-fashioned. The "haitch" segment...

The listener show! (canceled, think, lettuce, funnily, episode numbers, at about, mangos, musgos)

Dodany: 23 stycznia 2024

964. It's a listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about "canceled," "another think/thing coming," zero plurals such as "fish," the way I reference verbs, episode numbers, "at...

Technology changes how we write. Who was the first Goody Two Shoes?

Dodany: 16 stycznia 2024

964. From Nietzsche's writing ball to word processors and beyond, we look at how technology can change the way people write. Plus, we unpack the origin of the phrase "Goody Two Shoes" — it didn't...

More than fluff: Understanding 'needless' words. Larruping. Chicken surprise.

Dodany: 9 stycznia 2024

963. Strunk and White said to omit needless words, but sometimes "redundant" words can serve a meaningful purpose. Plus, we have the story behind larruping food.| Transcript:...

The psychology (and language) of time. Commas are like people on the subway. Fox chores.

Dodany: 2 stycznia 2024

962. We explore why phrases like "time flies" and "fast approaching" reveal deeper perspectives on time — is it us moving or the event? Plus, you may think you know how to use commas, but just like...

Why English has silent letters. Dayjamas.

Dodany: 26 grudnia 2023

960. Some English letters are seen but not heard. In fact, more than half the letters in our alphabet are sometimes silent. We look at the many reasons we have these silent letters that make...

A rizzy word-of-the-year chat (with Jess Zafarris)

Dodany: 26 grudnia 2023

BONUS. Prompting, hallucinating, and more! Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," joins me for a word-of-the-year chat. Hang out with us as we look at how dictionaries are handling new words...

The special sauce of human language. Gotten. NATO alphabet. A1 sauce.

Dodany: 19 grudnia 2023

959. Learn why human language goes beyond basic communication to allow spontaneous creativity, expression of identity, and leadership in linguistic change — things animals and chatbots can't quite...

What's the difference between Hispanic, Chicano, Latino, Latinx, and Latine? Can something 'grow' smaller? Musko.

Dodany: 12 grudnia 2023

958. We trace the history, usage, and meaning behind identifiers such as "Hispanic," "Chicano," "Latino," "Latina," "Latinx," and "Latine." Plus, we look at whether metaphors like "grow the...

When does a house become a mansion? Giving someone house.

Dodany: 5 grudnia 2023

957. We trace the linguistic history behind "house" and "mansion" to uncover how these two humble words for dwellings grew apart, with "mansion" gaining airs — all because of the Norman invasion....

From Metal Type to Metaphor: Printing Terms that Extended Their Reach. The Positive 'Anymore.' Gigglemare.

Dodany: 28 listopada 2023

956. How did terms like "stereotype," "boilerplate," and "typecast" make the leap from specialist printing vocabulary to widespread figurative language? We trace the etymology of these and other...

Why is Black Friday black? The NATO alphabet. Byeloveyou.

Dodany: 21 listopada 2023

955.  This week, we're looking at the curious origins and histories behind common idioms and expressions that use "black," like "Black Friday," "black sheep," "in-the-black," and more. Then we...

The Science of the Plot Twist. Irregardless. Spug.

Dodany: 14 listopada 2023

954.  Uh-oh, "irregardless" isn’t going away anytime soon. Take a deep breath while we dig into this hated word’s history, from its first appearance in 1795 to today. And then, do you love a good...

Omnishambles! Military Slang Across the Pond (Interview with Ben Yagoda)

Dodany: 7 listopada 2023

953. In honor of Veterans Day, Ben Yagoda tells us tales of military words that marched from the British lexicon to American English and influence the way we speak today. "Omnishambles," "gadget,"...