Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

1010. We'd never be accused of belling the cat, but we did let our curiosity get the best of us when sniffing around common cat-related idioms. Plus, little did we know that we're already in Augtober and Summerween! Grab a pumpkin-spiced treat and come on an adventure through the looking glass to learn about portmanteau words. The "cat idoims" segment is written by Susan K. Herman, a former multidisciplined linguist, editor, and instructor for the U.S. government.🔗 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 texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.| HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.Audio Engineer: Nathan SemesDirector of Podcast: Brannan GoetschiusAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina TomlinDigital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

1009. If you think apostrophes are confusing today, wait until you hear how people used them 100s of years ago! Ammon Shea has some wild stories. Plus, should you use "first," "second," and "third" or "firstly," "secondly," and "thirdly"?Ammon Shea is the author of "Bad English," "Reading the OED."🔗 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 texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.| HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.Audio Engineer: Nathan SemesDirector of Podcast: Brannan GoetschiusAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina TomlinDigital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

1008. We look at why you have to use "the" before some nouns and not others, and then we dive into the science behind why rhymes stick in our memory and how they can even influence our beliefs. The "articles before nouns" segment was written by Neal Whitman, an independent writer and consultant specializing in language and grammar and a member of the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, school board. You can search for him by name on Facebook, or find him on his blog at literalminded.wordpress.com.🔗 Share your familect recording via WhatsApp.🔗 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 texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.| HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.Audio Engineer: Nathan SemesDirector of Podcast: Brannan GoetschiusAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina TomlinDigital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Joining the conversation are Adele, the British powerhouse known for her soulful ballads, and Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who captivated hearts on 'Britain's Got Talent'. Together with linguist Susan K. Herman, they explore why singers often sound American despite their accents. The discussion delves into the quirky 'I before E' rule and its multitude of exceptions. They also share insights on how accents transform in music, and the personal connection language has through charming familial mispronunciations.

1006. We look at why the pronoun "I" seems to take plural verbs, and then we talk about a grammar topic that's in the news: how to make names that end in S (like Harris and Biles) possessive.| Share a recording of your familect story with me on WhatsApp, Threads, Instagram, or  Mastodon.| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/names-possessive/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. | Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR| HOST: Mignon Fogarty| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.Audio Engineer: Nathan SemesDirector of Podcast: Brannan GoetschiusAdvertising Operations Specialist: Morgan ChristiansonMarketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina TomlinDigital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

Discover the rich history of the English language, from Germanic invasions to the Norman Conquest. Explore how events like the Viking raids and the introduction of the printing press shaped English vocabulary. Enjoy a humorous culinary misadventure with a dish gone wrong, dubbed 'killer death meat,' due to an overzealous use of paprika. Plus, learn about efforts to engage listeners by collecting family language stories and the evolution of effective language learning strategies.

Karen Yin, author of 'The Conscious Style Guide,' discusses the power of conscious language in promoting equity and respect. They cover topics like navigating language change, addressing language mishaps, and approaching controversial terms and phrases. The podcast highlights the evolution of the singular 'they' and emphasizes the importance of context in language use.

Learn about the quirks of the number zero, its plurals, idioms from WWII era, and how it impacts email communication. Discover how generational differences affect politeness in emails and ways to avoid misunderstandings. Explore the unique language styles of different generations and the importance of using polite language in intergenerational interactions.

Martha Brockenbrough is an insightful author who dives into the complex implications of artificial intelligence in writing and education. She discusses the ethical challenges of AI tools, stressing originality and copyright issues. Martha shares strategies to motivate students to produce original work instead of relying on AI, while also addressing fears around job losses in teaching due to capitalism's influence. She emphasizes the importance of fostering human connections in education as a counterbalance to technology's rise.

Learn the rules for ordering adjectives in English and when to use commas. Explore the rise of 'yeah-nah' and its cultural impact, compared to Taylor Swift's influence. Discover the evolution of 'yeah-nah' in Australian slang and its role in creating group identities. Share family words and expressions, like doing laundry on Sundays, and enjoy a humorous movie scene from 'Notting Hill'.