Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

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.

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.

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 language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor. The "plot twist" segment was written by Vera Tobin, an associate professor of Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. It originally appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/irregardless/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.

953. In honor of Veterans Day, Ben Yagoda tells us tales of military words that marched from the British lexicon to American English and influence the way we speak today. "Omnishambles," "gadget," "boffin" and more! We'll dispel some posh myths, and you'll be gobsmacked by the linguistic invasion.. Find Ben at BenYagoda.com. His forthcoming book, "Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English," will come out in fall of 2024. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ben-yagoda/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.

951. In honor of National Cliché day, we uncover why some overused phrases rub us the wrong way. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and clichés—and should we give "adulting" a break? Then, we trace the 700-year history of "organic," from bodily organs to natural growth, and ask whether using a bully pulpit makes someone a bad person. The "cliche" segment was written by Kirk Hazen, a professor of linguistics at West Virginia University, and Jordan Lovejoy, a visiting assistant professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It first appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license (BY-ND 4.0). | 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.

951. What's the difference between terror and horror? Why was the word for "bear" so scary that it is lost to history? Jess Zafarris, author of "Words from Hell," goes through these stories and more in a scary, spooky etymology romp to help us get ready for Halloween. "Words from Hell" https://amzn.to/3rZVxo0 Find Jess Zafarris online: Useless Etymology, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram | 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.

950. Nowthen, a town with an odd little name, helps us understand the word "namesake," and then I have some surprising poll results about the much-hated verb "commentate." The "namesake" segment is written by Brenda Thomas, a freelance writer who enjoys writing about a variety of topics in the humanities and education. | 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. Pebble. Bluesky.

949. Topic sentences aren't just for students! This week, we have real-life, grown-up examples — and you'll finally understand why that concept your English teacher kept talking about will help you write better business proposals, blog posts, and more. Plus, we have fun looking at fanilects (you read that right, not familects) and weird words such as "unputdownable," "throwawayable," and "untalkaboutable." Cohesive paragraph example from the Indiana University Bloomington Writing Tutorial Services: https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/paragraphs-and-topic-sentences.html | 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.

948. Think you know where words like "bully," "nice," and "bimbo" come from? Think again! Join me as we explore surprising origins of common words. We'll see how terms like "bully" and "nice" changed meaning over time, how "bimbo" switched genders, and where oddly violent words like "amok" and "berserk" originated. Plus, did you know "soon" once meant "immediately"? Learn these twists and turns in the curious histories of familiar words! Plus, we look at the publishing industry meaning of "preordering" books and how it helps authors get on bestseller lists, even though some find the term illogical. And explain why you should preorder books to support your author friends. | 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.

947. Do you wish you could think on your feet faster? Well, Stanford business professor and communication expert Matt Abrahams has insights on having great off-the-cuff conversations that are also surprisingly helpful for writers. Matt shares the secrets of chunking when you're writing, tailoring your message for different audiences, and using structures to guide your thinking. Also, as a comfortable speaker but nervous writer, Matt shares his tips on how to get that difficult first draft down on the page. I found his new book, "Think Faster, Talk Smarter," to be incredibly helpful, so I knew I had to get him to share his expertise with you! | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/matt-abrahams/transcript Matt Abrahams is a leading expert in communication with decades of experience as an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. As a Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, he teaches popular classes in strategic communication and effective virtual presenting. He received Stanford GSB’s Alumni Teaching Award in recognition of his teaching students around the world. Outside of the classroom, Matt is a sought-after keynote speaker and communication consultant. He has helped countless presenters improve and hone their communication, including some who have delivered IPO road shows as well as Nobel Prize, TED, and World Economic Forum presentations. His online talks garner millions of views and he hosts the popular, award-winning podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart The Podcast. His new book Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot provides tangible, actionable skills to help even the most anxious of speakers succeed when speaking spontaneously, such as navigating Q&A sessions, shining in job interviews, providing effective feedback, making small talk, fixing faux pas, persuading others. His previous book Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50 Techniques for Confident and Compelling Presenting has helped thousands of people manage speaking anxiety and present more confidently and authentically. Handles: MattAbrahams.com Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maabrahams Instagram & Threads: @MattAbrahams "Stumbling Toward Intimacy," an impromptu TED Talk by Anthony Veneziale | 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.

946. It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, which brings to mind "Pirates of the Caribbean," but you can actually pronounce "Caribbean" at least two different ways. Did Disney get it right or wrong? We turn to history for the answer and discover a second fascinating linguistics story along the way! Plus, we answer a listener's question about how to write equations. | Transcript. | American Mathematical Society style guide (PDF). | 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.

945. What was the famous Usage Panel from the American Heritage Dictionary and how did the panel's opinions influence dictionary entries? Steve Kleinedler, who managed the Usage Panel for many years, joins us this week with all kinds of fascinating inside-the-dictionary stories. David Skinner article about the history of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel David Skinner's book "The Story of Ain't" American Heritage Dictionary Old Tumblr Steve Kleinedler's book "Is English Changing?" Steve Kleinedler on Twitter Kory Stamper's book "Word by Word" Grammar Girl interview with Kory Stamper | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/steve-kleinedler/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.

944. Today, we untangle the often confusing web of writing styles. We'll explore the benefits of loose writing in fiction, creative writing, and academic writing, and how you can vary your sentence length to create a rhythm that resonates with your readers. Plus, we use the difference between "behead" and "decapitate" as a sneaky way to talk about the "be-" and "de-" prefixes in a way every word nerd will love. The "tight writing" segment was written by Susan Herman, a retired U.S. government multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/expanded-writing/transcript | Preorder "The Grammar Daily" | 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.

943. Join us for a fascinating romp through the evolution of phrases like "you know," "right?" and "I mean" from Beowulf's time to today. Plus, we look at how people's feelings about using "anxious" to mean "eager" are changing, and how that can affect your writing. The discourse marker 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/anxious-eager | 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.

942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its transformative role in Greek that gifts English words like "atypical" and "asymmetrical." You'll be wowed by the versatility of the seemingly humble "a-" prefix as we unveil its covert presence in words like "atom" and its power in creating modern English words like "asexual." Then, we explore the difference between the words "personal" and "personnel" and give you a tip for getting the spelling right every time. The "a-" prefix segment was by Kirk Hazen, a data scientist at CVS Health and a linguist at West Virginia University. He is the author of Introduction to Language (Wiley) and can be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-hazen-phd/ | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/personnel/transcript | Preorder "The Grammar Daily" | 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.

941. Whether you've been betrayed by autocorrect or your own fingers, almost everyone has made embarrassing typos. Even the Bible isn't immune: typos led to an old version called the "Sinners Bible"! We have more hilarious examples and, better yet, some tips to help you catch those terrible typos in the future.. Plus, we explore the fascinating world of "light verb" and why we say we "take" a walk and "give" a presentation, even though we aren't really taking or giving anything. The light verbs segment was written by Edwin L. Battistella, who taught linguistics and writing at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where he served as a dean and as interim provost. His books include Bad Language: Are Some Words Better than Others?, Sorry About That: The Language of Public Apology, and Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels: Insulting the President, from Washington to Trump. It originally appeared on the OUP blog and is included here with permission. Read the original. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/proofreading-tips/transcript | Grammar Girl's editing checklist | 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.

940. Pork bacon, manual transmissions, and acoustic guitars: retronyms help us describe the original form of something that has now become a class. But sometimes, retronyms go even further. This week, we discover surprising ways "acoustic" is filling this role. Plus, learn what makes your writing "tight." | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/acoustic/transcript | The "tight writing" segment was written by Susan Herman, a retired U.S. government multidisciplined language analyst, analytic editor, and instructor. | 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.

939. When I say the word "tattoo," you probably think of body art, but "tattoo" has another meaning that's related to a famous Edinburgh festival that is happening this month. Plus, we look at why you should never stop writing (and reading).ding). The "tattoo" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com. The "aging and writing" segment was written by Roger J. Kreuz, associate dean in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Memphis. Richard M. Roberts, a foreign service officer, also contributed. It originally appeared in The Conversation, and appears here through a Creative Commons license. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/tattoo/transcript | For more on writing your novel later in life: An Interview with Bourne Morris. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/753-take-heart-heres-why-you-still-have-time-to-write/id173429229?i=1000462060258https://open.spotify.com/episode/5SXdTOhW9WSI22Ensfyq1I?si=SBf23qt3Rce67Vpyox1qPQ| 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.

938. Love it or hate it, the exclamation point has been on the red carpet lately because we're using it more. But it also has a fascinating history: the man who invented it was trying to fix a problem that annoyed him. This interview with Florence Hazrat is bursting with fascinating tidbits. | Transcript: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/exclamation-point/transcript | Get Florence Hazrat's book "An Admirable Point" and visit her website. | 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.

In this special bonus episode, I sat down with Laura Adams and Monica Reinagel, who host Money Girl and Nutrition Diva here on the Quick and Dirty Tips network, to celebrate their 15th anniversaries and discuss how much podcasting has changed in this decade and a half. Thanks to Laura and Monica for joining me — and if you're new to Quick and Dirty Tips, make sure you check out Money Girl and Nutrition Diva for the best financial and nutrition advice in audio! Transcript Newsletter LinkedIn Learning writing courses Peeve Wars card game Books VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) or https://sayhi.chat/grammargirl Theme music by Catherine Rannus. Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.