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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

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,"...

Cliches. Organic. Bully Pulpit. Fimfy.

Dodany: 31 października 2023

951.  In honor of National Cliché day, we uncover why some overused phrases rub us the wrong way. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and clichés—and should we give "adulting" a break?...

The Dark Histories Behind Your Favorite Scary Words, with Jess Zafarris

Dodany: 24 października 2023

951. What's the difference between terror and horror? Why was the word for "bear" so scary that it is lost to history? Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," goes through these stories and...

Namesake. Commentate. Sprigly

Dodany: 17 października 2023

950. Nowthen, a town with an odd little name, helps us understand the word "namesake," and then I have some surprising poll results about the much-hated verb "commentate."The "namesake" segment is...

How to write great topic sentences. Fanilects. Throwawayable.

Dodany: 10 października 2023

949. Topic sentences aren't just for students! This week, we have real-life, grown-up examples — and you'll finally understand why that concept your English teacher kept talking about will help you...

When 'nice' was bad and 'bully' was good. Is 'preorder' redundant? High-intensity transformer.

Dodany: 3 października 2023

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"...

Think faster and talk smarter. Tips from Matt Abrahams that will make you a better writer and speaker

Dodany: 26 września 2023

947. Do you wish you could think on your feet faster? Well, Stanford business professor and communication expert Matt Abrahams has insights on having great off-the-cuff conversations that are also...

Did Disney nail the pronunciation of 'Caribbean'? How to write equations. Chuther.

Dodany: 19 września 2023

946. It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, which brings to mind "Pirates of the Caribbean," but you can actually pronounce "Caribbean" at least two different ways. Did Disney get it right or wrong? We turn...

Asking experts about language (interview with Steve Kleinedler, former executive editor of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel)

Dodany: 12 września 2023

945. What was the famous Usage Panel from the American Heritage Dictionary and how did the panel's opinions influence dictionary entries? Steve Kleinedler, who managed the Usage Panel for many...

When you shouldn't 'write tight.' 'Behead' versus 'decapitate.' YesHony.

Dodany: 5 września 2023

944. Today, we untangle the often confusing web of writing styles. We'll explore the benefits of loose writing in fiction, creative writing, and academic writing, and how you can vary your sentence...

Say hwat?! 'Anxious' versus 'eager.' Pink stein.

Dodany: 29 sierpnia 2023

943. Join us for a fascinating romp through the evolution of phrases like "you know," "right?" and "I mean" from Beowulf's time to today. Plus, we look at how people's feelings about using...

The wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English. 'Personal' versus 'personnel.'

Dodany: 22 sierpnia 2023

942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its...

Hilarious typos (and how to avoid them). Why do we 'take' a walk?

Dodany: 15 sierpnia 2023

941. Whether you've been betrayed by autocorrect or your own fingers, almost everyone has made embarrassing typos. Even the Bible isn't immune: typos led to an old version called the "Sinners...

Have you ridden an acoustic bike lately? Write it tight.

Dodany: 8 sierpnia 2023

940. Pork bacon, manual transmissions, and acoustic guitars: retronyms help us describe the original form of something that has now become a class. But sometimes, retronyms go even further. This...

Did you know that on US Army bases, soldiers get a tattoo every day? Keep writing.

Dodany: 1 sierpnia 2023

939. When I say the word "tattoo," you probably think of body art, but "tattoo" has another meaning that's related to a famous Edinburgh festival that is happening this month. Plus, we look at why...

People have ~feelings~ about the exclamation point (Florence Hazrat interview)

Dodany: 25 lipca 2023

938. Love it or hate it, the exclamation point has been on the red carpet lately because we're using it more. But it also has a fascinating history: the man who invented it was trying to fix a...

15 years of podcasting with Money Girl and Nutrition Diva

Dodany: 21 lipca 2023

In this special bonus episode, I sat down with Laura Adams and Monica Reinagel, who host Money Girl and Nutrition Diva here on the Quick and Dirty Tips network, to celebrate their 15th...

'Less' versus 'fewer.' Fun names for fingers. Scunscreen.

Dodany: 18 lipca 2023

937. Today, we explore the traditional advice of using "fewer" for things you can count and "less" for things you can't, but you'll also learn about the idea of using "less" for singular nouns and...

'Inspirational' or 'aspirational'? The surprising dangers of ChatGPT. Spaghetto.

Dodany: 11 lipca 2023

936. Have you ever wondered about the nuanced differences between "aspirational" and "inspirational"? Today, we look at a newer, more cynical meaning of "aspirational." Plus, you've probably heard...