Podcasts · Education · Society & Culture

Grammar Girl

QuickAndDirtyTips.com

300 episodes

Five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing and feed your love of the English language. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast.

More about the show

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Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 4 everyday words that started out as monsters. 'Graveyard' versus 'cemetery.' Which is which?

    · 11 min · Episode 1232

    1232. This week, we look at four ordinary words — "hippocampus," "chimera," "behemoth," and "gargantuan" — that all started as the names of monsters. Then, we look at where sailors got the phrase "graveyard watch" and…

  2. Beowulf’s ‘you know,’ Shakespeare’s ‘prithee,’ and the myth of Valley Girl ‘like,’ with Dr. Laurel Brinton

    · 38 min · Episode 1231

    1231. This week, Valerie Fridland steps in for Mignon and sits down with linguist Laurel Brinton to talk about little words like “well,” “you know,” and “like.” They look at why “well” signals bad news, how “Beowulf”…

  3. What's a familect? The words only your family uses

    · 20 min · Episode 1230

    1230. This week, the whole show is about familects, the words and phrases you only use with your family. We look at where they come from and what they do, how the same thing happens among friends and fans, and why…

  4. Your college essay doesn't need an extraordinary story, with Ethan Sawyer

    · 30 min · Episode 1229

    1229. This week, we talk with Ethan Sawyer, the College Essay Guy, about AI and college admissions essays. We look at why admissions officers told him “don’t” when it comes to AI, what he calls the “disembodied voice”…

  5. Why does 'Here comes he' sound so wrong?

    · 11 min · Episode 1228

    1228. This week, we look at why "Here comes the bride" sounds right but "Here comes he" sounds wrong. Then we have an update on Zipf's law: after whales and dolphins, researchers may have found it in birdsong too. The…

  6. Famous quotes we've been getting wrong, from Robert Frost to 'Don't mess with Texas,' with Eli Burnstein

    · 45 min · Episode 1227

    1227. This week, we talk to Eli Burnstein, author of "Phrased & Confused." We look at why Robert Frost's "road less traveled" wasn't really less traveled, and why the other half of Stewart Brand's "information wants to…

  7. Is it 'try and' or 'try to'? What does an epilogue do?

    · 10 min · Episode 1226

    1226. This week, we look at why so many people say "try and" instead of "try to," including why it may be the older form, why it turns up more in speech than in writing, and why it bothers Americans more than Brits.…

  8. 'Rizz,' 'lost in the sauce,' and Dictionary.com's newest words, with Steve Johnson

    · 21 min · Episode 1225

    1225. This week, we talk to lexicographer Steve Johnson from Dictionary.com. We look at how slang like "no cap" and "throw hands" works its way up from a separate slang dictionary, why one lexicographer fought against…

  9. Why are ships called 'she'?

    · 13 min · Episode 1224

    1224. This week, we look at why English speakers call ships "she," even when the ship is named Henry. Then we have a follow-up on "maxxing" from two listeners, including its roots in 1990s gaming and a cameo in the…

  10. What's in a word? Mapping America's regional vocabulary and the Linguistic Atlas Project, with Allison Burkette

    · 35 min · Episode 1223

    1223. This week, Valerie Fridland steps in for Mignon and sits down with linguist Allison Burkette of the Linguistic Atlas Project at the University of Kentucky. They look at what "lightwood" and "chifforobe" reveal…

  11. How often do you use 'the'? Meet Zipf's law

    · 9:45 · Episode 1222

    1222. This week, we look at Zipf's law, a pattern that shapes how often you use your most common words, and why SETI researchers think it could help identify alien communication. Save the date for Grammarpalooza — The…

  12. Min-maxxing, looksmaxxing, and Nixon-maxxing, with Roger Kreuz

    · 17 min · Episode 1221

    1221. This week, we talk to Roger Kreuz, associate dean at the University of Memphis, about the "maxxing" craze. We look at how it started with min-maxxing in 1990s gaming culture, how looksmaxxing spread from the…

  13. Why do pirates say 'Arr'? Is it 'none is' or 'none are'?

    · 13 min · Episode 1220

    1220. This week, in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, we look at the history of eight pirate words, and then we look at whether the right pairing is "none is" or "none are." Save the date for Grammarpalooza — The Game…

  14. Stray Russian words and made-up style rules, with Daniel Heuman and Chris Ryder

    · 25 min · Episode 1219

    1219. This week, we talk to Daniel Heuman and Chris Ryder from Intelligent Editing about the errors hiding in AI writing that looks flawless. We look at why it invents its own rules when you ask for Chicago or AP…

  15. Who's a good boy? The science behind 'dog voice.' Is it 'bated breath' or 'baited breath'?

    · 11 min · Episode 1218

    1218. This week, we look at "dog-directed speech" — the high-pitched, sing-songy register people love to use with dogs — and what the research says about whether dogs actually like it. Then we look at why it's "bated…

  16. How we got from no spaces between words to the interrobang, with Florence Hazrat

    · 28 min · Episode 1217

    1217. This week, we talk to Florence Hazrat, author of "On the Mark," about how punctuation evolved over 2,000 years. We look at why ancient Greek and Roman writing had no spaces between words, how a librarian in…

  17. Why do so many last names sound like jobs?

    · 9:51 · Episode 1216

    1216. In honor of Labor Day, we look at occupational surnames — why Baker, Cooper, and Fletcher sound like jobs, and why Wainwright, Chandler, and Fuller were jobs too, even though they don't sound like it anymore. We…

  18. Explosions, chemistry, and dictionary 'spite,' with Kory Stamper

    · 21 min · Episode 1215

    1215. This week, we talk to Kory Stamper about why color science is surprisingly dangerous. We look at the literal chemical explosions at DuPont dye labs and the bitter rivalry between Webster’s Third and the American…

  19. It's Greek to me: Why is the language of 'The Odyssey' shorthand for all that we don’t understand?

    · 11 min · Episode 1214

    1214. This week, we look at why we say, "It's all Greek to me" when we don't understand something. We trace the phrase from medieval monks who couldn't read Greek manuscripts to Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," and look…

  20. Sarah L. Kaufman on the shared rhythm of dance, critical writing, and finding better verbs

    · 16 min · Episode 1213

    1213. Pulitzer-Prize-winning dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman goes deeper into her journey from the "Washington Post" copy desk to the world of professional dance criticism. We look at how writing about an art form is the…

  21. What 'kith and kin' and 'beck and call' have in common

    · 12 min · Episode 1212

    1212. This week, we look at fossil words — old words like "kith," "beck," and "hue" that survive only inside phrases like "kith and kin," "beck and call," and "hue and cry." We also look at listener follow-ups about…

  22. Word wagons and bobbasheelys: Life at DARE, with Joan Houston Hall

    · 20 min · Episode 1211

    1211. Today, we look at the behind-the-scenes history of the Dictionary of American Regional English with Joan Houston Hall. We look at her personal journey into linguistics, the "word wagons" that traveled the country…

  23. Why does 'shh' mean the same thing in so many languages, and what's 'broad' about daylight?

    · 11 min · Episode 1210

    1210. This week, we look at why the sound "shh" means "be quiet" in so many different languages, and we trace the phrase "broad daylight" back to Old English to find out why it shows up so often in crime stories. The…

  24. How comics are made, with Glenn Fleishman

    · 27 min · Episode 1209

    1209. Glenn Fleishman discusses the mechanical journey of a comic strip, from the cartoonist’s ink to the final newspaper page. We look at why drawing close to size helped “Calvin and Hobbes” creator Bill Watterson…

  25. Why does the U.S. have so many regional accents?

    · 10 min · Episode 1208

    1208. This week, linguist Valerie Fridland explains why the U.S. has so many regional accents — tracing New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, and Western speech back to where their first settlers came from, and how we…

  26. Why "golly" and "gosh" are going the way of the dinosaur, with Sali Tagliamonte

    · 29 min · Episode 1207

    1207. This week, we look at the hidden linguistic history of Ontario with Sali Tagliamonte. We look at why euphemisms like "golly" and "gosh" are going the way of the dinosaur, the surprising connection between…

  27. The secret language of gamers. Plus, why ducks don't ‘duck’ from danger

    · 12 min · Episode 1206

    1206. This week, we look at the secret language of video gamers — including why getting "nerfed" is a bad thing and what it means to "rage quit" — and we answer a listener's question about whether the bird "duck" or…

  28. 'Writing for AI' and the flaws of AI detectors, with Sean Goedecke

    · 27 min · Episode 1205

    1205. In the bonus discussion this week, we continue discussing AI em dashes with Sean Goedecke, software engineer for GitHub. We talk about why AI detectors are often unreliable and how they can disproportionately…

  29. Shark Week: 6 sayings from pop culture

    · 8:33 · Episode 1204

    1204. This week, in honor of Shark Week, we look at six fun shark sayings from pop culture, including "jumping the shark," "voodoo shark," and more. The shark segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly…

  30. Decoding the Chinese character paradox, with Dr. Charles Kemp

    · 12 min · Episode 1203

    1203. In this bonus discussion with Dr. Charles Kemp, we look at why the Chinese writing system has actually become visually more complex over thousands of years. Dr. Kemp explains how his team used "perimetric…

  31. Isn't it ironic? Plus, the man behind the guillotine

    · 12 min · Episode 1202

    1202. This week, we look at the tricky question of what makes something ironic, including situational irony, verbal irony, and "skunked" words, with help from psychologist and author Roger Kreuz. Then, for Bastille…

  32. Saving Canadian lexicography, with John Chew

    · 37 min · Episode 1201

    1201. In this bonus discussion from January, we look at why Canada has been without a current homegrown dictionary for twenty years and how John Chew is leading the charge to fix it. We look at how John got the job and…

  33. Snowclones: fill-in-the-blank phrases we can’t stop remixing. Plus, is it 'RBIs' or 'RBI'?

    · 9:42 · Episode 1200

    1200. This week, we look at snowclones like “X is the new Y,” including where the name came from and why we find them so satisfying. Then, we look at how to make abbreviations like “RBI” plural, including questions…

  34. Building a beloved resource for word lovers, with Doug Harper

    · 27 min · Episode 1199

    1199. In this bonus episode first released to Grammarpaloozians in January, we look at what it means to turn a "channeled obsession" into a resource used by millions of language fans. Doug Harper shares how he built…

  35. How to answer the question 'What's your book about?'

    · 10 min · Episode 1198

    1198. This week, we look at how to answer the question every author dreads: "So, what's your book about?" with workplace communications coach Joel Schwartzberg. We look at the difference between describing a book and…

  36. Fossil words, eponyms, and a miscellany of weird facts, with Jess Zafarris and Shannon Miller

    · 38 min · Episode 1197

    1197. This week, guest host Valerie Fridland steps in for Mignon and talks to Jess Zafarris and Shannon Miller about their new book, "A Miscellany of Weird and Wonderful Facts for Curious Humans." They look at fossil…

  37. Why 'love' means 'zero' in tennis

    · 8:15 · Episode 1196

    1196. This week, we look at why "love" means "zero" in tennis, from egg-shaped zeros to playing for the love of the game, and how the sport's quirky 15-30-40 scoring system came to be. 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon.…

  38. Tomi Adeyemi: The writing life

    · 42 min · Episode 874

    874. With her book "Children of Blood and Bone" spending 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, Tomi Adeyemi knows what it takes to write a great book. Listen in on my conversation with this charming writer…

  39. The bouba-kiki effect in baby chicks, with Dr. Maria Loconsole

    · 17 min · Episode 1195

    1195. This week, we talk to Dr. Maria Loconsole from the University of Padua about her research into the bouba-kiki effect, the near-universal tendency to associate round shapes with "bouba" sounds and spiky shapes…

  40. The secret code of weather forecasts

    · 9:35 · Episode 1194

    1194. This week, we look at weather forecast terminology, including why "mostly sunny" and "partly cloudy" aren't the same thing, what "oktas" are, and how terms like "breezy," "scattered," and "likely" are officially…

  41. Randall Munroe of xkcd: Language chat and weird bee laws.

    · 36 min · Episode 898

    898. Randall Munroe joined me back in October 2022 to talk about his language-themed xkcd cartoons, his simple-language project Up Goer V, his biggest pet peeve, his favorite words, and his new book "What If? 2." But I…

  42. What it really takes to translate Shakespeare, with Daniel Hahn

    · 35 min · Episode 1193

    1193. Today, we talk to award-winning translator Daniel Hahn, author of "If This Be Magic," about what it really takes to translate Shakespeare, starting with the philosophical paradox at the heart of all translation:…

  43. How to get started as a freelance writer

    · 15 min · Episode 1192

    1192. How do you get your first writing jobs when you don’t have much experience? Grammar Girl shares stories from her own early career and offers advice on finding a niche, spotting opportunities, making industry…

  44. The case for language clarity, with Iva Cheung

    · 29 min · Episode 1191

    1191. This week, we talk to Iva Cheung, a plain language expert and editor who has helped shape Canada's accessibility standards. We look at what plain language actually means (it's more than just short words and…

  45. Does Yoda speak 'real' English? Is it 'a real trouper' or 'a real trooper'?

    · 13 min · Episode 1190

    1190. This week, we look at what makes Yoda's English special, and we look at the difference between “trooper” and “trouper,” including whether singular “troop” may be short for “trooper” and why “a real trouper” is…

  46. Everyone has a story to tell, and why your memoir matters, with Grant Faulkner

    · 26 min · Episode 1189

    1189. This week, we talk to Grant Faulkner, co-founder of Memoir Nation and former executive director of NaNoWriMo, about what makes writing a memoir different from writing fiction. We look at why memory is more story…

  47. How ‘bee’s knees’ became high praise, and why do recipes sound so bossy?

    · 17 min · Episode 1188

    1188. This week, we look at how “the bee's knees” went from meaning something tiny to the cheeriest slang of the 1920s — and why it outlasted the cat's pajamas and the clam's overshoes. Then, we look at why recipes…

  48. Why your topic isn't a point (and how to fix it), with Joel Schwartzberg

    · 22 min · Episode 1187

    1187. Today, we talk to workplace communications coach and author Joel Schwartzberg about how to clearly and effectively get to the point, and he outlines how his clients use AI as a communication tool without losing…

  49. How many people is a 'troop'? Why spelling bees are called 'bees.'

    · 15 min · Episode 1186

    1186. This week, we look at why the word "troops" is surprisingly ambiguous and what style guides say about using it to refer to individual service members. Then, we look at why spelling bees are called "bees" and…

  50. The hidden logic of English spelling, with Colin Gorrie

    · 24 min · Episode 1185

    1185. Today, we look at why English spelling is secretly optimized for readers. Colin Gorrie, linguist and creator of the Dead Language Society newsletter, shared the real history of silent letters, why medieval…

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