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Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

QuickAndDirtyTips.com
  • 4.5 (2.8K)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. How ‘bee’s knees’ became high praise, and why do recipes sound so bossy?

    1D AGO

    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 phrases like “fold in cheese” and how cookbook language evolved from chatty medieval notes into clipped, no-nonsense commands. The "recipe" segment was by Karen Lunde, a career writer and former Quick & Dirty Tips editor. She writes I'll Go First, a Substack where she shares personal essays and memoir, then hands you a weekly writing prompt and a metaphorical pen. Find her on igofirst.org. 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Find an edited transcript. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Castria CommunicationsDirector of Podcast: Holly HutchingsAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah SebastianPodcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 min
  2. Why your topic isn't a point (and how to fix it), with Joel Schwartzberg

    6D AGO

    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.  Joel Schwartzberg's website. 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript here. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan FeierabendDirector of Podcast: Holly HutchingsAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah SebastianPodcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb| Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    22 min

  3. 6D AGO ·  BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Get to the point: How to write emails people actually read

    In this week's bonus, we talk to communications coach and author Joel Schwartzberg about practical strategies for writing better emails. We look at how to craft subject lines that get opened, why you should limit paragraphs to three sentences, and when to stick to one point per email. And we look at why those endless "re: re: re:" threads might be costing you important messages. Joel Schwartzberg's website. - www.joleschwartzberg.net 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or at 833-214-4475. - https://www.speakpipe.com/GrammarGirl 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/mignon-fogarty 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. - https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe 🔗 Take our advertising survey. - https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR 🔗 Get the edited transcript. - https://grammar-girl-grammarpaloozian-bonus-feed.simplecast.com/episodes/1187-bonus/transcript 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. - https://amzn.to/3LULzLb 🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts or Subtext. Learn more about the difference. - https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscription/ | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475). | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. - https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast Associate: Maram Elnaagheeb | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. - https://catherinerannus.com/ | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@grammargirl TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@therealgrammargirl Facebook - http://facebook.com/grammargirl Threads - https://www.threads.net/@thegrammargirl Instagram - http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Mastodon - https://mastodon.social/@grammargirl Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/grammargirl.bsky.social

    18 min
  4. How many people is a 'troop'? Why spelling bees are called 'bees.'

    MAY 19

    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 phrases like "a bee in your bonnet," "make a beeline," and "put the bee on someone."  🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Find an edited transcript. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Castria CommunicationsDirector of Podcast: Holly HutchingsAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah SebastianPodcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  5. The hidden logic of English spelling, with Colin Gorrie

    MAY 14

    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 inconsistent spelling, and how the printing press and social ambition drove standardization. We also look at the surprisingly dramatic origin of "went" — a past tense stolen from an entirely different verb. Dead Language Society newsletter 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript here. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan FeierabendDirector of Podcast: Holly HutchingsAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah SebastianPodcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb| Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min

  6. MAY 14 ·  BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Who sounds more like Shakespeare: Americans or Brits?

    In this week's bonus, Colin Gorrie — linguist, Old English teacher, and author of the Dead Language Society newsletter — tackles the popular claim that Americans speak more like Shakespeare than the British do. We look at how features like rhotic Rs, the "broad A" in words like "path," and the Canadian "about" vowel each preserve different pieces of English's past. Then we look at why no single dialect can claim a monopoly on archaic features since every variety of English has both kept and lost different things since Shakespeare's day. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or at 833-214-4475. - https://www.speakpipe.com/GrammarGirl 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/mignon-fogarty 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. - https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe 🔗 Take our advertising survey. - https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR 🔗 Get the edited transcript. - https://grammar-girl-grammarpaloozian-bonus-feed.simplecast.com/episodes/1181-bonus/transcript 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. - https://amzn.to/3LULzLb 🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts or Subtext. Learn more about the difference. - https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscription/ | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475). | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. - https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast Associate: Maram Elnaagheeb | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. - https://catherinerannus.com/ | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@grammargirl TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@therealgrammargirl Facebook - http://facebook.com/grammargirl Threads - https://www.threads.net/@thegrammargirl Instagram - http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Mastodon - https://mastodon.social/@grammargirl Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/grammargirl.bsky.social

    21 min
  7. How the Crusades gave us 'lingua franca.' 'That' or 'who' for animals? Doot doot doot

    MAY 12

    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 animals, "that" instead of "who" for people, and "whose" for inanimate objects. The lingua franca segment was written by Alexandra Aikhenvald, a Professor and Australian Laureate Fellow at Jawun Research Institute, CQ University in Australia. It originally ran on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license. AI systems confusing dog faces with blueberry muffins. 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Find an edited transcript. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Castria CommunicationsDirector of Podcast: Holly HutchingsAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah SebastianPodcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  8. Meeting the new editor, with AP Stylebook's Anna Jo Bratton

    MAY 7

    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 updates for 2026, including the new AI chapter and the decision to make "healthcare" one word.  58th Edition of the Associated Press Stylebook, out May 27 Join my AP Stylebook webinar, May 20, 2026. 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter. 🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript here. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan FeierabendDirector of Podcast: Holly HutchingsAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah SebastianPodcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb| Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.5
out of 5
2,833 Ratings

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.

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