Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.
Education & Explainer
About
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- Does Yoda speak 'real' English? Is it 'a real trouper' or 'a real trooper'?
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 the traditional spellin…
- Everyone has a story to tell, and why your memoir matters, with Grant Faulkner
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 than recording, how t…
- How ‘bee’s knees’ became high praise, and why do recipes sound so bossy?
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 boss you around with phr…
- Why your topic isn't a point (and how to fix it), with Joel Schwartzberg
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 their authentic voice.…
- How many people is a 'troop'? Why spelling bees are called 'bees.'
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 explore fun bee-related p…
- The hidden logic of English spelling, with Colin Gorrie
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 scribes weren't bothered by…
- How the Crusades gave us 'lingua franca.' 'That' or 'who' for animals? Doot doot doot
1184. This week, we look at the history of lingua francas, from the original mix of Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish used during the Crusades to today's global English. Plus, we look at whether it's wrong to use "who" for anim…
- Meeting the new editor, with AP Stylebook's Anna Jo Bratton
1183. This week, we talk to Anna Jo Bratton about leading the committee that decides the rules for the "journalism bible." We look at how the team "pressure-tests" new rules and why the process isn't a democracy. Then we look at major upda…
- Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin.
1182. This week, we solve the mystery of the colon: when do you actually need to capitalize the next word? We compare AP, Chicago, and MLA styles to give you a clear answer. Then, we look at common words with surprisingly "shadowy" histori…
- The hidden superpower of verbs, with Sarah L. Kaufman
1181. This week, we talk to Sarah L. Kaufman about verbs. We look at why English is a "manner verb" superpower and why babies often learn prepositions before actions. Then, we look at how choosing strong, dynamic verbs can actually save li…
- Why English creates so many words spelled the same. Why we say 'ye olde' instead of 'the old.'
This episode of Grammar Girl explains the origin of "ye olde" by examining vanished English letters like thorn, eth, and yogh. It also discusses homographs, words spelled identically with different meanings, using "compact" as an example.…
- 'Why We Talk Funny.' The reasons behind our accents, with Valerie Fridland
This episode features linguist Valerie Fridland discussing her book "Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents." The conversation covers the development of American speech, the influence of colonial settlements on regional ident…
- Should you start a sentence with 'hopefully'? Why we might not recognize alien language.
Grammar Girl addresses the long-standing controversy over using "hopefully" as a sentence adverb and examines xenolinguistics, the study of alien languages, considering commonalities and potential differences in language structures.
- Inside the life of a curator (and the myth of white gloves), with John Overholt.
In this episode, John Overholt shares insights into his role as a curator at Harvard's Houghton Library. He discusses the durability of 18th-century paper, the logistics of moving a valuable book by George Washington, and the surprising pr…
- Why 'stressed' spelled backwards reveals a delicious truth. 'Me' versus 'myself'
This episode covers semordnilap, pentasyllabic, and hyphenated words. It also details the grammatical use of
- Losing clients to AI, and how to gain them back, with Suzanne Bowness
Author Suzanne Bowness joins Grammar Girl to discuss the disruption of the freelance writing industry by AI. She shares insights on using AI tools and how writers can adapt to client needs, including addressing dissatisfaction with machine…
- What the way we pronounce Iran says about us. Odorous or malodorous? When smell words stink.
This episode discusses why people pronounce "Iran" and "Iraq" differently, linking pronunciation to political beliefs. It also examines words related to smell, such as "odorous," noting how its meaning has shifted over time.
- The 3,000 hidden colors of the dictionary, with Kory Stamper
The episode features Kory Stamper, a former Merriam-Webster editor, discussing her book "True Color." They delve into the dictionary's extensive vocabulary of over 3,000 color names and examine historical linguistic debates, such as the di…
- Denim: Secret place names hiding in plain sight. Why the principal is more than your pal.
Grammar Girl discusses toponyms, revealing hidden place names in everyday words such as denim and sherry. The episode also clarifies the distinction between "principal" and "principle" using mnemonic devices.
- The crossword puzzle's role in World War II and the fight against Nazism.
This episode examines the historical and political use of crossword puzzles, including their role in boosting morale during World War II and the 1920s "crossworditis" phenomenon.
- Feghoots: Groan-worthy story puns. How your brain stores words.
This episode of Grammar Girl covers feghoots, a type of pun-based story, and examines the cognitive processes involved in word storage and retrieval.
- The ‘Tale of Two Dictionaries,’ with Peter Sokolowski
This bonus episode examines Peter Sokolowski's "Tale of Two Dictionaries," detailing the word's origin in a 16th-century Latin text and its influence on the first English and French monolingual dictionaries.
- Why leprechauns are shoemakers. The March equinox versus the vernal equinox.
This episode of Grammar Girl examines the word "leprechaun," tracing its origins to shoemaking, ancient Rome, and wolf-men. It also discusses the term "equinox," its connection to Chaucer, the word "equilux," and the current and future pos…
- 'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris
This episode examines the unexpected origins of common words. It delves into why "miniature" historically referred to a color rather than size, clarifies the actual meaning of "factoid," and explains how "hello" became a widespread greetin…
- Is the Academy Awards singular or plural? Writing about time.
Grammar Girl tackles the grammar of the Academy Awards and explores how to improve writing about time, covering redundancies like 'period of time,' the use of 'a.m.' and 'p.m.,' and the abbreviation UTC.
- Mapping the American Tongue: The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), with Joan Houston Hall
The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) project, discussed with Joan Houston Hall, documents regional American vocabulary and folk words through extensive fieldwork.
- The history of the octothorpe. Sir Fragalot and sentence fragments. Dribzle.
This episode of Grammar Girl explores the history and multiple names of the octothorpe, also known as the pound sign or hashtag. It also discusses sentence fragments and provides a tip called "Sir Fragalot" to help writers avoid common mis…
- How 'be like' took over the world, with Sali Tagliamonte
Host Mignon Fogarty talks with linguist Sali Tagliamonte about her 25-year study tracking the phrase "be like," the increasing use of "very" by younger generations, and the impact of AI on language.
- Why 'Tonka' sounds big and 'bitty' sounds small. Why you CAN start a sentence with 'because.'
This episode of Grammar Girl discusses how vowel sounds, such as "ee" versus "ah," create associations with size and meaning. It also addresses the grammatical validity of starting a sentence with "because" and explains the role of depende…
- WHY WE USE ALL CAPS TO SHOUT, with Glenn Fleishman
Tech historian Glenn Fleishman discusses the evolution of all-uppercase letters, explaining its transition from signifying importance to representing shouting. His research traces this association back to 1856, and the episode also covers…
- Battle of the moguls. 'Awhile' versus 'a while.' Crittador.
Grammar Girl examines the word "mogul," explaining its use for both ski bumps and powerful individuals. The episode also offers a mnemonic device to differentiate between "awhile" and "a while."
- Writing for ‘civic clarity’ (plus, the power of short sentences), with Roy Peter Clark
This episode discusses "civic clarity," defined as the ethical code of clear communication, with writing instructor Roy Peter Clark. It also covers the strategy of "writing short" for social media and how to edit drafts for focus.
- How bored tourists invented an Olympic sport. Centigrade or Celsius? Piqua
This episode traces the origins of Olympic terms like ski, luge, and toboggan, and explains the reason for using Celsius instead of centigrade.
- Why AI loves em dashes, with Sean Goedecke
This episode examines why artificial intelligence models frequently use em dashes and certain words, with software engineer Sean Goedecke. The discussion touches on the influence of 19th-century public domain books and the role of human fe…
- Why 'forte' has three pronunciations. What is 'playing the dozens'? Ornish
Grammar Girl explores the pronunciation variations for
- How can there be hundreds of words for snow? with Dr. Charles Kemp
Dr. Charles Kemp joins Grammar Girl to examine the claim of hundreds of words for snow in Inuit languages. They discuss how environmental factors shape vocabulary, referencing a study of 18 million volumes and the Nida-Conklin principle, a…
- Scarecrows and other 'cutthroat' compounds. Reading versus listening. Squirrel Hill Tunnel.
Grammar Girl examines "headless" nouns such as scarecrow and pickpocket, detailing how they deviate from standard English grammar. The episode also delves into the cognitive differences between reading and listening and their impact on com…
- Scrabble strategy and tournament culture, with John Chew
This episode features John Chew, head of the North American Scrabble Players Association, discussing Scrabble tournament culture. Topics include tile counting, etiquette, and the management of the official word list.
- What is a baker’s dozen? Making O-words plural. Wrong pew.
This episode explains the origin of the term "baker's dozen" and discusses similar phrases. It also addresses the grammatical rules for forming plurals of words ending in the letter "o."
- Building the Online Etymology Dictionary, with Doug Harper
Doug Harper, creator of Etymonline, joins Grammar Girl to explore word origins. Topics include the etymological links within the word "grave," the surprising 1839 origin of "OK," and the concept of folk etymologies.
- Using ‘impact’ as a verb. ‘Sympathy’ versus ‘empathy.’ Big help, Irving.
This episode of Grammar Girl examines the controversy surrounding the use of 'impact' as a verb. It also explores the linguistic shift between 'sympathy' and 'empathy', detailing how 'empathy' came to replace 'sympathy' as the preferred te…
- Rare books, burned letters, and Johnson’s dictionary, with John Overholt
This episode features John Overholt, curator at Harvard's Houghton Library, discussing Samuel Johnson, the 1755 Dictionary of the English Language, and the management of a rare book collection.
- Penny idioms that are still legal tender. The linguistic history of procrastination. Tanner tour.
Grammar Girl discusses penny-related idioms that remain in common usage and examines the linguistic evolution of the word "procrastination" and related terms over time.
- The Goth letters: why the alphabet goes off the rails after T, with Danny Bate
This bonus episode segment discusses the history of the alphabet's later additions, including V, W, X, Y, and Z. Danny Bate explains how the Greeks and Romans expanded the alphabet beyond T, the history of the letter Y as a vowel, and the…
- War of the dots. Why we say 'pitch black.' Pitch hot.
The episode discusses the history of Braille, including its inspiration and the "War of the Dots" over reading standards. It also examines the origin of "pitch black," linking "pitch" to dark wood tar and its Old English roots.
- How a long-lost yearbook revealed the origin of 'hella,' with Ben Zimmer
In this bonus episode, Grammar Girl speaks with Ben Zimmer about the slang term "hella." They discuss how a long-lost yearbook revealed its origin and how digitized language records, like those used by the OED, help preserve linguistic his…
- The origin of X in algebra. Why we say ‘how come’ for ‘why.’ Water handles.
Grammar Girl examines the historical use of the letter X as a variable in algebra and analyzes the phrase "how come," detailing its informal nature and grammatical distinctions from "why."
- 2025 Words of the Year, with Jess Zafarris and Danny Hieber
Jess Zafarris and Danny Hieber discuss the 2025 Words of the Year on Grammar Girl, covering terms like "six seven," "rage bait," "fatigued," "slop," and "parasocial." They explore viral slang, cultural terms, and changes in word usage.
- 'Pride and prejudice' before Jane Austen. Was Parson Brown a real person? Happy Panda.
This episode traces the origins of the phrase "pride and prejudice" predating Jane Austen's novel and investigates the historical existence of Parson Brown, a figure from the song "Winter Wonderland".
- The 'sheeple' incident, with Stefan Fatsis
The episode features Stefan Fatsis discussing a controversy surrounding his definition of "sheeple" for Merriam-Webster. It also explores the origin of the "Backward Index" and the rapid addition of COVID-related terms to the dictionary.