Podcasts · Grammar Girl

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

· 11 min · Episode 1210

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

0:00 11:04

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 "Shh" segment was by Karen Lunde, a career writer and editor. She writes I'll Go First, a newsletter where she shares her story, then hands you a writing prompt and a metaphorical pen. Find her on igofirst.org.

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