Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

978. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, Charles Duhigg, as we talk about mastering the art of communication and his new book, "Supercommunicators." We explore the skills anyone (yes, you!) can learn to become a powerful communicator. Learn about the science behind effective communication, from NASA's emotional intelligence tests for astronauts to everyday interactions t...

977. This week, we cover the latest AP Stylebook updates that were just revealed at the ACES conference. From the switch to Merriam-Webster to easing up on the word "unique," we look at what these changes mean for writers and editors. Plus, we explore "catawampus" thanks to its cameo in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finale. Learn about its quirky origins, regional differences, and wordy friends like...

976. How have our pets influenced the way we use language? This week, we dive into the "cativerse" and explore the vocabulary, grammar, and spelling habits of our furry friends. From LOLcats to doggo dialects, discover the linguistic wonders of how we talk about our beloved pets. Plus, don't get tripped up by "imply" versus "infer."  In the second segment, we dive into the definitions, origins, an...

975. This week, I learned all about audiobook narration from David H. Lawrence XVII, who is launching a new program called "Narrate Your Own Book." If you've ever dreamed of being a narrator, this episode is for you! And if you're a self-published author who has always wanted to narrate your own audiobook (or feel like you should), this episode is especially for you. We talk about many of the fear...

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 Unive...

973. "Oppenheimer" leads us to wonder about the "nucular" pronunciation of "nuclear." And why do people have that second capital letter in the middle of MySpace, OutKast, and PowerPoint (and is it grammatically correct)? | Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/nuclear/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text...

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 th...

971. Linguists have traced modern languages like English and Sanskrit back thousands of years to a single Proto-Indo-European source. This week, we explore their detective work and the debates around the origins of the ancestral tongue. This piece was written by Kurt Kleiner, a freelance science and technology writer living in Toronto. It originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, a digital publica...

970. We answer a listener question about the difference between "addictive" and "addicting," and then we look at how to write compound nouns: did you visit a coffeehouse or a coffee house? | Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/addictive/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | ...

969. From "wolkenkratzer" in German to "flea market" in English, direct translations called calques show how languages borrow from each other. This week, we look at how these translations are changing English in Miami and Spanish in Louisiana. Plus, we look at the difference between "gumball machine" and "gumballs machine" and how it might explain Joe Alwyn's Tortured Man Chat. The calques segment...

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 language...

967. Should you say "a honor" or "an honor"? It's trickier than you think! We explore why articles depend on sounds and regional variations, the difference between "thee" and "thuh," and your stories about delicious phrasings. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/a-versus-an/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello"...

966. We explore the rise and fall of the letter H: Debates over its name ("haitch" or "aitch"?) and why a once-prestigious pronunciation like "hwhat" now seems old-fashioned.  The "haitch" segment was written by Kate Burridge, a professor of linguistics at Monash University, and Catherine McBride, a professor of psychology at Chinese University of Hong Kong. It originally appeared on "The Conversa...

965. It's a listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about "canceled," "another think/thing coming," zero plurals such as "fish," the way I reference verbs, episode numbers, "at about," mangos versus green peppers, and muskgos.  (And if I didn't answer your question, don't despair. I hope to do another show with listener questions in a month or two.) | Transcript: https://grammar-gi...

964. From Nietzsche's writing ball to word processors and beyond, we look at how technology can change the way people write. Plus, we unpack the origin of the phrase "Goody Two Shoes" — it didn't start out as an insult. The "technology" segment was by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum a professor of English and digital studies at the University of Maryland. It originally appeared on The Conversation and app...

963. Strunk and White said to omit needless words, but sometimes "redundant" words can serve a meaningful purpose. Plus, we have the story behind larruping food. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/redundancy/transcript |  Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . |  Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. |  Peeve Wars card game .  |  Grammar Girl books .  | HOS...

962. We explore why phrases like "time flies" and "fast approaching" reveal deeper perspectives on time — is it us moving or the event? Plus, you may think you know how to use commas, but just like people, they can be more complex than they appear at first glance. The "time" segment was written by by Sarah Duffy, a senior lecturer in English language and linguistics in the Department of Humanities...

961. Prompting, hallucinating, and more! Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," joins me for a word-of-the-year chat. Hang out with us as we look at how dictionaries are handling new words and meanings that have cropped up around emerging technologies in 2023. "Words from Hell" https://amzn.to/3rZVxo0 Find Jess Zafarris online: Useless Etymology , TikTok , Twitter , Instagram ITEMS MENTIONED...

960. Some English letters are seen but not heard. In fact, more than half the letters in our alphabet are sometimes silent. We look at the many reasons we have these silent letters that make spelling such a challenge, but that also tell fascinating stories about the history of our language. Plus, we look at the origin of the word "pajamas/pyjamas" and why it has two spellings. | Transcript: https:...

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 Uni...

958. We trace the history, usage, and meaning behind identifiers such as "Hispanic," "Chicano," "Latino," "Latina," "Latinx," and "Latine." Plus, we look at whether metaphors like "grow the business" and "grow smaller" are trendy jargon you should avoid or just regular figurative language. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/latinx-grow/transcript |  Subscribe to the newslet...

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 Nev...

956. How did terms like "stereotype," "boilerplate," and "typecast" make the leap from specialist printing vocabulary to widespread figurative language? We trace the etymology of these and other expressions. Plus, the story of positive "anymore." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/printing-terms/transcript |  Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates . |  Watch my Lin...

955.  This week, we're looking at the curious origins and histories behind common idioms and expressions that use "black," like "Black Friday," "black sheep," "in-the-black," and more. Then we switch gears to explore what happens when phonetic alphabets go delightfully rogue, like in comedy bits and songs. The Black Friday segment was written by Julia DiGeronimo, a recent graduate and a freelance...

954.  Uh-oh, "irregardless" isn’t going away anytime soon. Take a deep breath while we dig into this hated word’s history, from its first appearance in 1795 to today. And then, do you love a good plot twist? In honor of National Novel Writing Month, we look at the psychology of surprises in fiction. The "irregardless" segment was written by Susan Herman , a retired U.S. government multidisciplined...