Shows
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhat dictionary labels tell us about words. Why we say 'mama'. DU, STU, and LO.1079. Ever wonder what labels like "informal," "archaic," or "offensive" mean in a dictionary entry? We explain how different dictionaries use labels to describe when, where, and how to use words. Then, we explore why so many babies say "dada" first and why babies say "mama" almost everywhere.The "dictionary labels" segment was written by Susan Herman, a retired U.S. government multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor.The "mama" 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...2025-05-0617 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingHow did our holidays become so 'corny'? Why do some words have accent marks in English? Cubby hole1063. Why is it called "corned beef" when there’s no corn involved? We look at how the word "corn" evolved to mean different things over time. Then, we look at the role of accent marks in English — why some words keep them, why others lose them, and what they tell us about language.The "corn" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "diacritic" segm...2025-03-1115 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy we misuse ‘literally.’ How ham radio got its name. District1057. Why do people use "literally" when they mean "figuratively"? This week, we look at how the meaning of "literally" changed over time. Plus, we look at how amateur radio operators came to be known as "hams" and why the term stuck.The "literally"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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "ham radio" segment was written by Karen Lunde, a former Quick & Dirty Tips...2025-02-1817 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing'Home' for the holidays. False friends. Hello, Dentist.1041. Today, we talk about the word "home" and its meaning beyond just a structure, and then we talk about false friends — words in different languages that don't mean what you think they mean.The "home" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "false friends" segment was written by Karen Lunde, a former Quick and Dirty Tips editor who has crafted hundreds of articles on...2024-12-2314 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy people say 'I mean ...' Missing pronouns. Cat-tracted.1039. People are saying "I mean" more lately, and we explain what it ... means! Plus, we look at why people leave out pronouns at the beginning of sentences such as "Ordering pizza!"The "I mean" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "pronoun deletion" segment was written by Karen Lunde, a former Quick and Dirty Tips editor who has crafted hundreds of articles on...2024-12-1716 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingHow to write about trademarks. Why we say 'thank you.'1034. First, we look at how writers should use trademarked terms like "Kleenex" and "Google," including when to capitalize them and how to avoid legal pitfalls. Then, we look at the way the word "thank" evolved alongside changing social conventions — who got thanked and why, and how the word itself evolved. The trademark segment was written by Natalie Schilling, a professor emerita of linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, who runs a forensic linguistics consulting firm. You can find her on LinkedIn. The "thank you" segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at t...2024-11-2616 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingFrom Guy Fawkes to Guido Fawkes. Tales from the crypt (and catacombs, mausoleums, and ossuaries). Taquitos1026. This week, we look at the origins of words for men, including the ancient roots of "man," the surprising evolution of the word "guy" from being an insult to just another word, and how "guido" took a different route. Then, for some Halloween fun, we look at the difference between crypts, catacombs, mausoleums, and ossuaries, with an emphasis on their fascinating origins and some famous examples. The "words for men" segment is by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good i...2024-10-2916 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy don't we say 'I'm smarter than YOU'RE'? The language of fear. Catherineisms.1024. It often sounds weird if you try to end a sentence with a contraction like "you're" and "I'm." We look at why! Then, get ready for Halloween with the language of fear.The "contractions" segment is by Neal Whitman, an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board. You can search for him by name on Facebook, or find him on his blog at literalminded.wordpress.com.The "language of fear" segment is by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada i...2024-10-2217 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy some verb sets are so odd (like 'go/went'). Corporate euphemisms. Goggy.1016. This week, we look at why some verbs are so irregular that their forms don't even seem related, like "go" and "went." Then, we look at the surprising finding that corporate euphemisms are worse than annoying — they can also hurt a company's stock price.The "suppletion" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "corporate euphemisms" segment was was written by Kate Suslava, an as...2024-09-2416 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing'Tea' or 'chai'? Why we misspeak. Fellatone.1012. Most words are different in different languages, but water from steeped leaves has only two main names: tea and chai. We look at why! Also, if you've ever mixed up words, like calling a butterfly a "flutterby," you'll love learning about what these slips of the tongue tell us about how we form sentences.The "tea" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "...2024-09-1013 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe language of liars. 'Legendary,' 'famous,' or 'notorious'? Fish shapes.1011. This week, we look at language patterns that may indicate someone is lying, such as how often they say "um" and the diversity of the words they use. Then we tease out the difference between being legendary, famous, infamous, and notorious.The "language of lying" 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 Good in Bad English." A version of this story originally appeared on Psychology Today, and you can find her at valeriefridland.com.🔗 Share you...2024-09-0314 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe birth of American English. How to recognize a phrasal verb. Cucka-nucka.999. This week, we look at what shaped early American English, from Native American words to Noah Webster's spelling reforms. Then, we explore phrasal verbs, looking at their grammatical peculiarities and some tips to distinguish them from other types of verbs.The "American English" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.The "phrasal verbs" segment was written by Edwin L. Battistella, who taught linguistics and...2024-07-0219 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe power of sign language in 'Dune.' The words we use for dad. Chee993. This week, we cover the strategic use of sign language by the Bene Gesserit in the 'Dune' movies, including its importance in covert communication. Then, we look at the many words for 'father' and their historical and linguistic significance, from early baby talk to more formal terms for adults.Dune sign language supercut video: https://youtu.be/P912zjkVSgQ?si=vH8AN3kg_hw7cabqStan Freberg "Purfuit of Happineff" video: https://youtu.be/iOOQfGWt8Hc?si=pFF1YwbJWy-tVPwY&t=123The "Dune" segment was written by Gemma King. Senior Lecturer in French Studies...2024-06-1116 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingFrom 'dog' to 'hot dog.' The 'audience of one' trick. More on the long S. Footbridge.991. This week, we trace the origin and meaning of the word "dog," from its mysterious beginning to its current use in phrases like "hot dog" and "hair of the dog." Then we go through the "audience of one" concept, which involves tailoring content to a single, imagined recipient; and we look at how this approach can make your writing more understandable and engaging.The dog 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 Good in Bad English." You...2024-06-0420 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingSkunked words. The power of pronouns. Quigleys983. This week, we explore "skunked" words — terms going through hotly disputed meaning changes. We look at the debate between prescriptivists who stick to traditional meanings and descriptivists who accept new usages and what you should do with these words in your own writing. Plus, we learn how using "we" versus "I" alters perceptions of leadership, inclusivity, and status.The "skunked words" segment was written by Mignon Fogarty and Susan K. Herman. Susan is a retired multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor for the federal government.The pronoun segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a pr...2024-05-0717 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 WritingMemory, Aging, and the Lingering 'Anyways'974. How does aging affect our ability to understand language? From the challenges of processing complex sentences to the resilience you get from a rich vocabulary, we look at how our language skills change over time. Plus, looking into why people say "anyways" led me to some interesting historical tidbits.The aging 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 Good in Bad English." A version of the piece originally appeared on Psychology Today, and you can find her a...2024-03-2617 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingFrom grunts to grammar. The Irish 'after doing.' The winning NGD poem!972. How did humans evolve from grunting ancestors to masters of language and poetry? This week, we explore fascinating theories on the origins of human language, including the laugh-inducing Bow-Wow and Pooh-Pooh theories. We also delve into Irish-English calques for St. Patrick's Day (and in response to a question from a Grammarpaloozian) and celebrate Leslie F. Miller's winning limerick from the National Grammar Day contest.Miller works as a health care writer in Baltimore. She is the author of the nonfiction book "Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and Pinch o...2024-03-1213 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingTaylor Swift Doesn't Need Your Grammatical Approval. In Love. Foil Lump Surprise.968. This week, I expand on my comments for the New York Times about Taylor Swift's grammatically sound but apostrophe-free new album title: "The Tortured Poets Department." Plus, we dive deep into the nuances between "loving" someone and being "in love," tracing how the word evolved from the ancient Proto-Indo-European root "leubh" yet still doesn't fully capture love's complexity across languages. The "in love" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find h...2024-02-1313 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe special sauce of human language. Gotten. NATO alphabet. A1 sauce.959. Learn why human language goes beyond basic communication to allow spontaneous creativity, expression of identity, and leadership in linguistic change — things animals and chatbots can't quite achieve. Plus, I answer a British listener's question about the confusing way Americans use the word "gotten."The "chatbot" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/chatgpt-gotten/transcript| Subscribe to the...2023-12-1914 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhen does a house become a mansion? Giving someone house.957. We trace the linguistic history behind "house" and "mansion" to uncover how these two humble words for dwellings grew apart, with "mansion" gaining airs — all because of the Norman invasion. Plus, we look at why someone might ask if a potential suitor "gave you any house."The "house" versus "mansion" 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/house-mansion/tr...2023-12-0512 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingSay hwat?! 'Anxious' versus 'eager.' Pink stein.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 "anxious" to mean "eager" are changing, and how that can affect your writing.The discourse marker 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 Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/anxious-eager| S...2023-08-2914 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingDarth Vader and the word 'father.' Comparatives and superlatives. Pritinear.931. Darth Vader wasn't the best father (understatement!), but his name is a wonderful jumping off point to discuss the origin of the word "father." Plus, we explain why I said he wasn't the "best" father and not that he wasn't the "better" father. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/darth-vader-and-the-word-father/transcript| The "father" segment was written by Valerie Fridland. It is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Valerie is the author of the book “Like, Literally, Dude,” and you can find her at ValerieFridland.com.| The "compar...2023-06-0618 min
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy the heck does 'score' mean 20? How we subconsciously know how to pronounce different plurals.929. While we were looking into why we use the word "score" to mean "twenty," our minds were blown by how many languages still have remnants of a base-20 counting system. And then we learned the secret rules that explain why some plurals end with an "s" sound and others end with a "z" sound. It was quite a week!| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/score-dogz/transcript| The "score" segment was written by Susan K. Herman, a retired U.S. Government multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and language instructor.| The "Cats and Dogz" se...2023-05-2318 minGrammar 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 WritingWhat we get wrong about 'um' and 'uh,' with Valerie Fridland924. What if I told you that you actually should use "uh" and "um" when you're giving a talk? And what if I told you "dude" was originally an anti-masculine word? Those are just some of the surprising insights from Valerie Fridland's new book, "Like, Literally, Dude."| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/valerie-fridland/transcript| Get Valerie's book, "Like, Literally, Dude."| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMA...2023-04-1832 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingHow COVID Changed the Way We Think About Words. How to Write Dates. Prefeed.909. In honor of 2023, we’ll talk about writing dates. And then we talk about a fascinating study about how COVID has changed the way we think about certain words.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/writing-dates/transcriptCOVID Words SegmentWritten by Valerie Fridland. Reference: Kleinman D, Morgan AM, Ostrand R, Wittenberg E (2022) Lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on language processing. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0269242.| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mign...2023-01-0314 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy Today's 'Thank You' Is Different from an Ancient 'Thank You.' Gerunds.902. Language reflects culture, so it's no surprise that giving thanks hundreds of years ago was different from giving thanks today. We have the fascinating history. Plus, since "Thanksgiving" is a gerund, we looked at all the interesting things you can do with gerunds in general.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/thank-you-history/transcriptThe Thanksgiving history segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of the forthcoming book, "Like, Literally Dude," about all the speech habits we love to hate. You can find he...2022-11-1816 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe Subconscious Rules of Conversation. The Double-Word Problem. Cookie Fish.897. Have you ever written yourself into a "that that" or a "had had" situation and wondered how you got there? It doesn't mean you're a bad writer! I explain why this happens sometimes and how to best fix it. Also, we talk about the fascinating subconscious rules that guide conversations.| Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/the-subconscious-rules-of-conversation| Segment 2 is by Valerie Fridland: Website. Twitter.| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon...2022-10-1416 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingAccent Hallucination. False Ranges. Thanks, Chris.891. Your mind will be blown when you learn about accent hallucination. (Mine was!) And then we'll learn how to avoid false ranges.Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/accent-hallucination-false-rangesReferences for the Accent Hallucination segment by Valerie Fridland:Babel, M., & Russell, J. (2015). Expectations and speech intelligibility. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 137(5), 2823–2833. Bradlow, A. R., and Bent, T. (2008). Perceptual adaptation to non-nativeSpeech. Cognition 106(2), 707–729.Lev-Ari, S., & Keysar, B. (2010). Why don't we believe non-native speakers? the influence of accent on credibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(6), 1093-1096:2022-09-0218 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingHow Gendered Languages Are Changing. Jugopop.888. This week we take a fascinating look at how highly gendered languages are dealing with the drive to become more inclusive. Plus, we look at the differences between "simple" and "simplistic" and "backward" and "backwards."Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/how-gendered-languages-are-changing-jugopop| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/grammargirl| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty...2022-08-1215 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy Nobody Says 'You're Welcome' Anymore. Whose. Chimichanga.884. People often ask why people say "no worries" or "no problem" instead of "you're welcome," and we actually found an answer! Also, we look at whether it's OK to use "whose" for inanimate objects in a sentence such as "The chair whose legs are broken."Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/why-nobody-says-youre-welcome-anymore-whose-chimichanga| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)| Grammar Girl is part of...2022-07-1517 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingSurprising Words Related to 'Freedom.' Double Subjects. Foop.882. For Independence Day, we look at the word "freedom" and the surprising words that came from the same roots. Plus, we look at odd sentences with double subjects and when you should (and shouldn't) use them.Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/surprising-words-related-to-freedom-double-subjects-foop| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network....2022-07-0114 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing'Ant' or 'Ahnt'? Capitalizing Cocktail Names. Archie Bunker.881. What's up with the fancy-schmancy "ahnt" pronunciation of the word "aunt"? And why are the rules about capitalizing cocktail names so wonky? We have all the answers today!Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ant-or-ahnt-capitalizing-cocktail-names-archie-bunkerReferences for the "ahnt" segment by Valerie Fridland:Phillips, Betty. (1989). The Diffusion of a Borrowed Sound Change. Journal of English Linguistics, 22(2), 197–204.Freeborn, Dennis. (1992). From old English to standard English : a course book in language variation across time. University of Ottawa Press: Ottawa.Grandgent, C.H. (1899). Franklin to Lowell. A Century of New England Pronunciation. Publication...2022-06-2415 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingThe Many Meanings of 'Father.' How Watergate Changed English. Punim880. "Father" as a word shows how we humans love to extend our metaphors. Did you know it was only relatively recently that priests were referred to as "father," for example? And then, for the 50th anniversary of the Watergate scandal, we look at the "-gate" suffix and what made it so successful that it has spread all over the world (even to non-English-speaking countries).Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/the-many-meanings-of-father-how-watergate-changed-english| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.| Peeve Wars card game. | Grammar Girl bo...2022-06-1719 minGrammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingWhy "'Em" Isn't Short for "Them." The Subjunctive. Sussies.875. When you say "Go get 'em!" you think that's short for "Go get them," but you're wrong! We look at the fascinating history of some English pronouns. Plus, we look at how Neil Gaiman uses the subjunctive mood in "American Gods" to underscore moments of uncertainty.WHY "'EM" ISN'T SHORT FOR "THEM"Written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of a forthcoming book on all the speech habits we love to hate. She is also a language expert for "Psychology Today" where she writes...2022-05-1315 min