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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. Denim: Secret place names hiding in plain sight. Why the principal is more than your pal.

    1D AGO

    Denim: Secret place names hiding in plain sight. Why the principal is more than your pal.

    1172. This week, we look at "toponyms" — words named after places — and you'll discover the hidden place names in denim, jeans, sherry, cantaloupe, and more. Then, we break down "principal" versus "principle," with memory tricks so you'll never forget the difference again. 🔗 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.  🔗 Transcript available on your podcast player. 🔗 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.

    14 min
  2. The crossword puzzle's role in World War II and the fight against Nazism.

    6D AGO

    The crossword puzzle's role in World War II and the fight against Nazism.

    1171. In the bonus segment that aired for Grammarpaloozians in November, we look at the early history of crossword puzzles and their surprising political uses. Natan Last explains how the “New York Times” crossword, which premiered during World War II, was used to boost morale and support the Allied war effort. We also look at the cultural frenzy of "crossworditis" in the 1920s and why libraries banned the puzzles as frivolous. Find Natan Last at Natanlast.com. Get the book, "Across the Universe." 🔗 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.  🔗 Transcript available on your podcast player. 🔗 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.

    19 min
  3. Feghoots: Groan-worthy story puns. How your brain stores words.

    MAR 24

    Feghoots: Groan-worthy story puns. How your brain stores words.

    1170. This week, we look at "feghoots," the pun-based stories popularized by writers like Isaac Asimov, and why they are designed to make you roll your eyes. Then, we look at how your brain stores words and the lightning-fast way it retrieves them during a normal conversation. 🔗 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.  🔗 Transcripts can be found on your podcast app or QuickandDirtyTips.com. 🔗 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.

    18 min
  4. The ‘Tale of Two Dictionaries,’ with Peter Sokolowski

    MAR 19

    The ‘Tale of Two Dictionaries,’ with Peter Sokolowski

    1169. In this bonus segment, originally released in November, we look at Peter Sokolowski's "Tale of Two Dictionaries," tracing the word "dictionary" back to a 16th-century Latin work by a monk named Calepino. We look at how this original source led to the first monolingual dictionaries in both English and French, all within a year of each other. Find Peter on BlueSky. 🔗 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. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.  | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast 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.

    23 min
  5. Why leprechauns are shoemakers. The March equinox versus the vernal equinox.

    MAR 17

    Why leprechauns are shoemakers. The March equinox versus the vernal equinox.

    1168. This week, we look at the word "leprechaun" and its surprisingly wild origin story involving shoemaking, ancient Rome, and wolf-men. Then we look at the word "equinox": its Chaucer connection, the newer word "equilux," and why the first point of Aries is actually in Pisces now (and headed for Aquarius). 🔗 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. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.  | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Castria Communications Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast 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.

    13 min
  6. 'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris

    MAR 12

    'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris

    1167. In this bonus segment that originally ran for Grammarpaloozians last October, we look at the surprising true origins of words that often fool people. We explore why "miniature" originally referred to a red color and not a size; the true, non-factual meaning of "factoid"; and how "hello" only became a common greeting because of the telephone. We also examine the indirect eponym behind the word "gasoline." Find Jess Zafarris online: Useless Etymology, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram 🔗 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. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.  | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast 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.

    13 min
  7. Is the Academy Awards singular or plural? Writing about time.

    MAR 10

    Is the Academy Awards singular or plural? Writing about time.

    1166. This week, we look the grammar of the Academy Awards and how to avoid an "illogical plot twist" in your sentences. Then, we look at common time-related redundancies like "period of time," the proper way to use "a.m." and "p.m.," and why the abbreviation UTC doesn't actually match its name.  The Academy Awards segment was written by Jim Norrena. 🔗 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. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.  | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Castria Communications Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast 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.

    18 min
  8. Mapping the American Tongue: The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), with Joan Houston Hall

    MAR 5

    Mapping the American Tongue: The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), with Joan Houston Hall

    1165. Today, we talk with Joan Houston Hall to look at the monumental task of documenting how Americans speak. We look at the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), exploring the unique folk words that survive outside of standard dictionaries and how "word wagons" traveled the country to map the "egg turners," "pogonips," and "oncers" that define our regional identities. "Dictionary of American Regional English" (DARE) Support DARE by visiting the University of Wisconsin's giving page. 🔗 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. 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.  | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast 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.

    39 min
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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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