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Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Quick and Dirty Tips

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.

Location:

New York, NY

Description:

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.

Twitter:

@GrammarGirl

Language:

English

Contact:

Quick And Dirty Tips c/o Macmillan Publishers, LLC 18 West 18th St., 7th Floor New York, NY 10011


Episodes

Memory, Aging, and the Lingering 'Anyways'

3/26/2024
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 at valeriefridland.com. | Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/aging-anyways/transcript | Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. References for the Aging segment van Boxtel, W, Lawyer, L. Sentence comprehension in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Lang Linguist Compass. 2021;e12430. Payne, B. R., Gao, X., Noh, S. R., Anderson, C. J., & Stine-Morrow, E. A. (2012). The effects of print exposure on sentence processing and memory in older adults: Evidence for efficiency and reserve. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 19(1–2), 122–149.

Duration:00:17:31

A nuclear win at the Oscars. CamelCase. One clo.

3/19/2024
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 "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:16:54

From grunts to grammar. The Irish 'after doing.' The winning NGD poem!

3/12/2024
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 of Salt," which is not about BAKING cake, but about EATING cake; a chapbook of "arty and electric" poems called "BoyGirlBoyGirl"; and a forthcoming full-length poetry book called "Words with Friends." The "language theories" 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. | Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/bow-wow-theory/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:13:44

Where did our language start?

3/5/2024
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 publication dedicated to making scientific knowledge accessible to all. Explore the latest at knowablemagazine.org. | Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/indo-european/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:21:32

'Addictive' or 'addicting'? Types of nouns. Folley

2/27/2024
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. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:14:06

Tracing the origins of Miami's new English. Why it's not a 'gumballs' machine. Embassy Sweets.

2/20/2024
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 was written by Susan K. Herman, a retired multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor for the federal government. Corpus Links Mentioned: https://www.english-corpora.org/coca/, https://www.english-corpora.org/ | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/calques | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:19:40

Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Your Grammatical Approval. In Love. Foil Lump Surprise.

2/13/2024
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 her at valeriefridland.com. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/taylor-swift-apostrophe/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:13:24

'A' versus 'an.' 'Larruping' rides again. Euonyms. Flavoring.

2/6/2024
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" to (917) 540-0876. | Why we have both "a" and "an: Episode 920 | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:12:53

From 'hwhat' to 'what': Tracing a letter's disappearing act. Barkhouse.

1/30/2024
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 Conversation" and appears here through a Creative Commons license. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/letter-h/transcript | Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:17:54

The listener show! (canceled, think, lettuce, funnily, episode numbers, at about, mangos, musgos)

1/23/2024
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-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/listener-qs/transcript | Become a Grammarpaloozian and get text messages from me. | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:19:45

Technology changes how we write. Who was the first Goody Two Shoes?

1/16/2024
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 appears here through a Creative Commons license. Read the original: https://theconversation.com/technology-changes-how-authors-write-but-the-big-impact-isnt-on-their-style-61955 The "Goody Two Shoes" segment was by Brenda Thomas, a freelance writer who enjoys writing about a variety of topics in the humanities and education. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/goody/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:16:34

More than fluff: Understanding 'needless' words. Larruping. Chicken surprise.

1/9/2024
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. | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/grammargirl | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:11:22

The psychology (and language) of time. Commas are like people on the subway. Fox chores.

1/2/2024
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 at Northumbria University, Newcastle. It originally appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons License. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/time-language/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:15:39

Why English has silent letters. Dayjamas.

12/26/2023
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://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/silent-letters/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: Bluesky, Threads, YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:19:52

A rizzy word-of-the-year chat (with Jess Zafarris)

12/26/2023
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 IN THE PODCAST: Intel deepfake face detector AI chatbots made up their own language: Advanced AP Style Ragan Communications course AI Sidequest newsletter | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/jess-zafarris/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:22:39

The special sauce of human language. Gotten. NATO alphabet. A1 sauce.

12/19/2023
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 newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:14:19

What's the difference between Hispanic, Chicano, Latino, Latinx, and Latine? Can something 'grow' smaller? Musko.

12/12/2023
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 newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:18:16

When does a house become a mansion? Giving someone house.

12/5/2023
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/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:12:50

From metal type to metaphor: printing terms that extended their reach. The positive 'anymore.' Gigglemare.

11/28/2023
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 LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:17:55

Why is Black Friday black? The NATO alphabet. Byeloveyou.

11/21/2023
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 writer from Northern New Jersey. | Jack Parr phonetic alphabet comedy skit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfLaY-R9kaU | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/black-friday/transcript | Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. | Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses. | 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 Tips podcast network. | Theme music by Catherine Rannus. | Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Duration:00:17:02