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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. The hidden logic of English spelling, with Colin Gorrie

    21H AGO

    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

  2. 1D AGO ·  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
  3. How the Crusades gave us 'lingua franca.' 'That' or 'who' for animals? Doot doot doot

    2D AGO

    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
  4. 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

  5. MAY 7 ·  BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Why the AP doesn't ban the Oxford comma (and when you should use it), with Anna Jo Bratton

    In this week’s bonus, AP Stylebook editor Anna Jo Bratton goes behind the scenes on the questions she fields most. We look at the Oxford comma (no, the AP doesn't ban it) and healthcare becoming one word. We look at how the committee researches style decisions, the challenges of language guidance during active conflicts, and how reader feedback through the "Ask the Editor" column shapes the book. 58th Edition of the Associated Press Stylebook, out May 27 - http://apstylebook.com/ Join my AP Stylebook webinar, May 20, 2026. - https://store.stylebooks.com/ap-stylebook-workshop.html 🔗 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/1183-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

    20 min
  6. Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin.

    MAY 5

    Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin.

    1182. This week, we solve the mystery of the colon: when do you actually need to capitalize the next word? We compare AP, Chicago, and MLA styles to give you a clear answer. Then, we look at common words with surprisingly "shadowy" histories — from the sudden appearance of the word "dog" to the apocryphal origin of "quiz." The words with no origins segment was written by Karen Lunde. 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
  7. The hidden superpower of verbs, with Sarah L. Kaufman

    APR 30

    The hidden superpower of verbs, with Sarah L. Kaufman

    1181. This week, we talk to Sarah L. Kaufman about verbs. We look at why English is a "manner verb" superpower and why babies often learn prepositions before actions. Then, we look at how choosing strong, dynamic verbs can actually save lives during a disaster and how specific words like "smash" can physically alter a witness's memory. Find Sarah L. Kaufman at sarahlkaufman.com Get Sarah’s books, “Verb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Art of Grace” 🔗 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.

    27 min

  8. APR 30 ·  BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Sarah L. Kaufman on the shared rhythm of dance critical writing and finding better verbs

    In this bonus episode for Grammarpaloozians, Pulitzer Prize-winning dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman goes deeper into her journey from the "Washington Post" copy desk to the world of professional dance criticism. We look at how writing about an art form is the ultimate exercise in verb selection, why our brains physically react to words like "meander" or "zigzag," and how to find the "zing" in your writing by juxtaposing unusual adverbs with everyday actions. Find Sarah L. Kaufman at sarahlkaufman.com Get Sarah’s books, “Verb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Art of Grace” - https://sarahlkaufman.com/books/ 🔗 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

    16 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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