Shows
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy 'wake' is so confusing. The playful language of vacations.1083. Is it "woke," "woken," or "waked"? We break down why the verb "wake" is one of the trickiest in English, with four competing forms and centuries of change. Then, we lighten things up with a look at vacation vocabulary—from "staycation" to "glamping."The "wake" segment was written by Natalie Schilling, a professor emerita of linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and who runs a forensic linguistics consulting firm. You can find her on LinkedIn.The "vacation" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com....2025-05-2018 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe future of editing jobs in the age of AI, with Samantha Enslen1072. Is AI coming for our jobs—or just the boring parts? This week, Samantha Enslen of Dragonfly Editorial talks about how she sees AI changing the work of writers and editors. We talked about real clients, real fears, and hope for the future. Plus, Samantha shares her favorite old-school fiction (spoiler: Agatha Christie strikes again!).Find Samantha Enslen at DragonflyEditorial.com.🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript.🔗 Get Grammar Girl book...2025-04-1017 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy one creative agency changed its stance on AI1033. Last year, Dragonfly Editorial had a "no AI" policy, but since then, they've been experimenting with the technology, and the policy has become more nuanced. President Samantha Enslen joins us to talk about what changed, what's working and what isn't, concerns, and how her employees feel about it.Visit Dragonfly Editorial.🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript.🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. 🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus epis...2024-11-2135 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingAre you "pantless" or "pantsless"? Who (or what) is Beetlejuice?1028. This week, we look at the weird situation when you want to add a suffix (such as "-less") to a plural-only noun such as "pants" or "scissors" — with a fun detour for some pants-related idioms. Then, with a new "Beetlejuice" in theaters, we look at the fascinating origin of the name and its role in mythology throughout the ages.The "pantless" segment is by Jim Norrena, MFA, who has been writing and editing for more than thirty-five years. He’s the founder and principal editor at TypoSuction.com, an independent editing/writing service. He taught grammar and copy...2024-11-0517 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingFrom game boards to boardrooms. Commas with participial phrases. Gritties.1018. This week, we look at the meanings of the word "board," including the differences between board games, table games, and table-top games. We also look at the punctuation of participial phrases, helping you understand when to use commas in sentences like "She yelled at me, making me cry" versus "She is the lady making me cry."The "board" segment is by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at DragonflyEditorial.com.The "commas with participial phrases" segment is by Bonnie Mills, who has been a copy editor since 1996.🔗 Share your fami...2024-10-0113 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingDo words like 'mandate' and 'cockamamie' come from words for men? Grammatical doppelgangers. A pair of teeth.1014. This week, we debunk misconceptions about gendered language, tracing the etymology of words like "cockamamie" and "gynecology." We also look at the flexibility of English grammar, examining how common words like "that" and "up" can function as different parts of speech in various contexts.The "gendered words" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com.The "grammar leaks" segment was written by Edwin Battistella, who taught linguistics and writing at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where he served as a dean and as interim provost. His...2024-09-1716 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingBuying your hometown newspaper, with Samantha & Greg Enslen998. This week, I talked with Samantha and Greg Enslen, who recently purchased their hometown newspaper, the "Tippecanoe Gazette" in Tipp City, Ohio. Sam and Greg shared how they are making it work, from updating antiquated systems to expanding news coverage and readership. We also discussed balancing print and digital content, the challenges of ad sales and subscriptions, their commitment to hyper-local reporting, their thoughts on AI in journalism, and the colorful stories that make small-town news so much fun. Whether you're an aspiring journalist or are simply curious about the future of local news, you'll be inspired by the...2024-06-2746 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe art of punctuation and the charm of 'kerfuffle.' Nicing.995. This week, we look at when to use parentheses, dashes, and commas and how the choice can change the tone of your writing. Then, we dive into the history of words for describing a big fuss — "kerfuffle," "hullabaloo," "hoopla," and more.The "big fuss" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at DragonflyEditorial.com.| "Harvard sentences" article mentioned in the podcast: https://tedium.co/2016/07/05/weird-telephone-numbers/| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/kerfuffle/transcript| Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://po...2024-06-1818 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhen (and How) Should You Cite AI? 'Critters,' 'Varmints,' and Beyond. Choobers.981. Major style guides now have advice on when and how you should cite AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. We look at what you need to include in your writing so you're handling this kind of information credibly and professionally. Then, we take a linguistic safari through the world of animal terminology, including the histories and nuances behind words such as "critter," "varmint," and "beast."| The "critters" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at DragonflyEditorial.com.| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes...2024-04-3017 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe birth of punctuation: from oral traditions to silent reading. Noun clusters. A wing wang in a mucket.979. In the first segment, we unravel the mysteries surrounding the origins and transformation of punctuation. From the early days when words ran together without spaces, to the introduction of punctuation systems by scholars like Aristophanes, we explore how punctuation has played a pivotal role in shaping written communication. In the second segment, we look at noun clusters that can gum up your writing. You'll see how simple steps like reordering, adding clarifying words, and transforming nouns into verbs can transform noun clusters from mind-bending to crystal clear. > The punctuation segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a...2024-04-2316 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingDid you know that on US Army bases, soldiers get a tattoo every day? Keep writing.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 you should never stop writing (and reading).ding).The "tattoo" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com.The "aging and writing" segment was written by Roger J. Kreuz, associate dean in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Memphis. Richard M. Roberts, a foreign service officer, also contributed. It...2023-08-0113 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingIt's all uphill from here (or is that downhill?). Eating like a pig (animal idioms).927. Whether you're a bird brain or a wise old owl, you'll love this week's episode as we fight an uphill battle to understand a language filled with metaphors.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/uphill-animals/transcript| The "Uphill/Downhill" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, an award-winning writer who runs the writing and editing agency Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com.| The "Animal Idioms" segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like Literally, Dude: Arguing for the...2023-05-0914 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingA Strange Use of 'Said.' Kith and Kin. New Scrabble Words!903. A listener heard some jargon, and then got annoyed by "said" jargon, so we explored why. Plus, who the heck are your kith? And finally, we got excited about the first new Scrabble words since 2018.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/a-strange-use-of-said/transcript| Ragan Advanced AP Style Webinar| Merriam-Webster Scrabble WebsiteThe "said" segment was written by Susan K. Herman, a former editor, language analyst, and language instructor for the U.S. Government.The "kith" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at...2022-11-2512 min