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PODCAST

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

QuickAndDirtyTips.com

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.

education

All Episodes

00:16:05

What Roman togas have to do with today's elections....

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/11/04

1130. This week, we look at words related to elections, and then I help you remember the difference between "home in" and "hone in" with a tip that includes a shocking historical tidbit about spiders.🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript.🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. 🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple

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00:26:52

Finding the true history of words, with Ben Zimmer

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/30

1129. This week, we talk with Ben Zimmer about the linguistic detective work of antedating words — finding earlier usages than those published in dictionaries. We look at the surprising origins of "Ms.," "scallywag," and the baseball history of "jazz."Find Ben on his website: Benzimmer.comVietnam Graffiti Project at Texas Tech's Vietnam Center: https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/graffiti/The interface for searching the text on the canvas bunk bottoms: https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/#graffitiSearchBen's post

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00:14:02

‘Ghost words’ and their history. Rules for ‘between’...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/28

1128. This week, in honor of Halloween, we look at “ghost words” and phrases, from “ghost runners” in baseball to “ghost forests” made by earthquakes. We also look at the difference between “between” and “among” for collective groups.Episodes mentioned in this episode: 734 - Ghost Words1056 - How to be a ghostwriter, with Dan Gerstein🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get

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00:28:09

How to be a ‘feisty freelancer,’ with Suzanne Bowness

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/23

1127. This week, we talk with Suzanne Bowness about creating a successful life as a writer. We look at high-value industries that are good targets for freelance work and the best job titles to pitch. Suzanne provides practical advice on tracking projects and follow-ups and explains why established freelancers should use their downtime to experiment and learn new tools.Find Suzanne on her website, Codeword Communications.Get the book, "Feisty Freelancer."🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp

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00:17:10

Shakespeare's ‘wherefore’ and other false friends....

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/21

1126. This week, we look at words for fear and why "wherefore" doesn't mean what many people think it means.The false friends segment was written by Karen Lunde, a career writer and editor. These days, she designs websites for solo business owners who care about both words and visuals. Find her at chanterellemarketingstudio.com.🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the

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00:37:49

Why Q needs U and how hieroglyphics created our...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/16

1125. This week, we talk with linguist and author Danny Bate about his book, "Why Q Needs U." We look at the ancient origins of our alphabet, tracing its conceptual leap from Egyptian hieroglyphs to symbols that represent sounds. Danny explains the "acrophonic principle" (one sound from a picture) and why the letter A was originally a consonant, not a vowel. Find Danny Bate on his website, Bluesky or on X. Get the book, "Why Q Needs U."Listen to Danny's podcast, "A Language I Love Is..."🔗 Share

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00:15:10

The political, royal and obscene meanings of blue....

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/14

1124. This week, we look at blue idioms, including the political history of "blue states," the medical reason for being "blue in the face," and the astronomical reason for a "blue moon." Then, we look at the difference between 'plumb' (with a B), and 'plum' (without a B).🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.🔗 Take our advertising survey. 🔗 Get the edited transcript.🔗 Get Grammar Girl books. 🔗 Join

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00:32:52

The fight for the modern dictionary, with Stefan Fatsis

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/09

1123. This week, we talk with author and self-described “word freak” Stefan Fatsis about his book "Unabridged." He shares his experience embedding at Merriam-Webster to become a lexicographer, sharing the contrast between the company's 1940s headquarters and the modern digital business. We look at the tension between updating old words (like the surprising original meaning of "pompom girl") and the need to add new, "sexy" words to generate web traffic.Find Stefan Fatsis on his website, Bluesky or

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00:13:22

‘Math’ versus ‘maths’ and other British differences....

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/07

1122. This week, we look at two subtle but persistent differences between American and British English: why Americans say "math" and Brits say "maths," and why Americans are "in the hospital" while Brits are "in hospital." Then, we look at the historical meaning of the word "spendthrift" and introduce some wonderfully obsolete insults like "dingthrift" and "scrapethrift."The "maths" segment was written by Samantha Enslen, who runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com.The

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00:33:23

Why ‘Useless Etymology’ gives you super powers, with...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/10/02

1121. This week, we talk with Jess Zafarris about her book “Useless Etymology.” We look at three ways she says etymology gives you superpowers. We also look at the origins of simple words and learn why “girl” didn't always mean a female child, the unexpected historical figures behind “fedora” and “sideburns,” and why the word “outrage” has nothing to do with “rage.”Find Jess Zafarris online: Useless Etymology, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch

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00:16:34

Can you use ‘epicenter’ for positive things? The...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/30

1120. This week, we look at tricky uses of the word "epicenter" and how people feel about using it metaphorically. We also look at where the word “brother” came from and how it branched into “bro,” “boy,” and even “buddy.”The "brother" 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.🔗 Share your familect recording in

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00:24:40

Adapting a classic: from words to watercolors, with...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/25

1119. This week, we talk with illustrator and cartoonist K. Woodman-Maynard about her new graphic novel adaptation of "Tuck Everlasting." We look at the creative process of adapting a beloved book, including how she uses visual storytelling to convey emotion and meaning with watercolor and panel design. We also look at her approach to condensing the original novel into a visual medium.K. Woodman Maynard on TikTokK. Woodman Maynard on InstagramK. Woodman Maynard on Substack🔗 Share your familect

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00:14:48

Dime idioms. ‘HoCo’ and syllable acronyms. Pulling a...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/23

1118. This week, we look at the origins of idioms related to the word "dime," like "turn on a dime" and "get off the dime." We also look at a special kind of acronym that uses syllables, and how words like "Nabisco," "SoHo," and "HoCo" were formed.The "dime" segment was written by Karen Lunde, a career writer and editor. These days, she designs websites for solo business owners who care about both words and visuals. Find her at chanterellemarketingstudio.com.The "Hoco" segment was written by Neal

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00:14:04

How algorithms are changing the meaning of words,...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/18

1117. This week, we talk with Adam Aleksic, also known as the Etymology Nerd, about the ways algorithms are changing the meaning of words. We look at how words like "preppy" have evolved and how social media is accelerating language change. We also look at how different cultures "shout" online without using capital letters, the linguistic connection between chairs and power, and other topics from his super popular videos.Adam Aleksic - The Etymology NerdAdam's book - "Algospeak"🔗 Share your

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00:14:50

The pirate history of ‘scallywag.’ ‘Used to’ versus...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/16

1116. This week, we clarify the origins of the word "Schnauzer" and why it may mean "snout," "growler," or "mustache." Then, in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, we look at the true origins of the word "scallywag," which, believe it or not, isn't from pirates but may be related to Shetland ponies. Then, we look at why we use both "used to" and "use to" and how they differ in questions and negatives.The "used to" segment was written by Natalie Schilling, a professor emerita of linguistics at

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00:25:19

From clay tablets to the Gutenberg press, with Keith...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/11

1115. This week, we talk with Keith Houston about his book, "The Book." We look at how writing technology evolved from clay tablets and bamboo slips to papyrus and paper. He shares some surprising facts, including why books are rectangles, how museums try to deacidify books, and how printing was once political.Keith Houston - Shadycharacters.co.ukKeith's book - "Face with Tears of Joy"🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.🔗 Subscribe to

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00:19:13

Why we have indents. More on Formica. Running on Edgar.

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/09

1114. This week, we look at the history and purpose of indents, from medieval manuscripts to modern word processors, and the difference between a first-line indent and a hanging indent. Then, we look at the fascinating, multi-layered story behind the word "Formica," and its connection to both a plastic substitute for mica and the Latin word for "ant."The indent segment was written by Jim Norrena, MFA, who has been writing, editing, and leading grammar and proofreading workshops for more than

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00:22:58

The surprising ways we gesture about time and space,...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/04

1113. This week, we talk with linguist Lauren Gawne about her book "Gesture: A Slim Guide." We look at how different cultures gesture about abstract concepts like time and space, and how we unknowingly gesture from our left-to-right writing system. We also look at why pointing is often rude, how different cultures point in different ways, and whether animals gesture on their own.This episode was originally a bonus episode released in June for people who support the show, the Grammarpaloozians. If

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00:15:42

Vonnegut’s semicolon rule. What age has to do with...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/09/02

1112. This week, we look at why you can safely ignore Kurt Vonnegut’s famous advice about ignoring semicolons. We also look at why taking punctuation advice from fiction writers may not be a good idea for business writing. Then, we look at how major life events, not age, change how you speak as you get older. The age segment was 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

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00:18:31

Why we say 'near miss.' How dogs got their names. ...

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ·

2025/08/26

1111. This week, we look at the phrase "near miss" and why this seemingly illogical term actually makes sense. Then, in honor of National Dog Day, we look at how 16 different dog breeds got their names, including why a dachshund is a "badger dog," a poodle is a "puddle dog," and a mastiff is a "tame dog."The "near miss" segment was by Natalie Schilling, a professor emerita of linguistics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and who runs a forensic linguistics consulting firm. You can find her

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