Brenda Thomas, a freelance writer, discusses the concept of being a namesake and explores how a post office got its unique name. The podcast also delves into the controversy surrounding the word 'commentate' and shares a listener's personal story about a unique family word.

Learn the importance of topic sentences in writing, including tips on writing effective ones. Explore the concept of fan elects and unique phrasal verbs turned adjectives like 'unputdownable'. Discover the winners of a writing competition and farewell the departing director of podcasts.

Explore the surprising origins and changes in meaning of words like 'bully' and 'nice'. Learn about the illogical but helpful practice of preordering books. Discover the current usage of words like 'berserker' and 'amok'. Find out how preorders impact bookstores and bestseller lists. Hear a familect story about adopting a phrase from a live news control room.

Communication expert Matt Abrahams shares tips on chunking when writing, tailoring messages for different audiences, and using structures to guide thinking. He also provides insights on getting the first draft down on the page. The podcast covers the importance of endings and transitions, knowing the audience, and reducing anxiety in public speaking.

Explore the pronunciation of 'Caribbean' in Pirates of the Caribbean and its different forms. Learn about the linguistic and historical aspects of the term and its origin. Discover the unique linguistic difference between the Carib and Arawak tribes. Get insights on organizing long equations and using the equal symbol in mathematical writing.

Steve Kleinedler, former executive editor of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel, shares fascinating stories about the panel's influence on dictionary entries. Topics covered include the panel's composition, the importance of the dictionary's front matter, prescriptivism vs descriptivism, and changing language usage. Find out more about the guest and access show notes.

Susan Herman, a retired U.S. government multidisciplined language analyst, talks about the benefits of loose writing and varying sentence length for rhythm and clarity. The podcast also explores the meanings and differences between 'behead' and 'decapitate' and shares funny stories about misreading vanity license plates.

Join linguistics professor and author Valerie Fridland as she discusses the evolution of discourse markers in English from Beowulf's time to today. Discover how people's perceptions of using 'anxious' to mean 'eager' are changing and how this impacts your writing.

Explore the fascinating origins and meanings of the 'a-' prefix in English words. Learn how this prefix evolved from Latin and French and its role in creating new words like 'atypical'. Discover the difference between 'personal' and 'personnel' and get tips on spelling them correctly.

Learn about hilarious typos and tips to avoid them, including examples from the Bible. Discover the world of 'light verbs' and why we use 'take' and 'give' in certain phrases. Also, a heartwarming dog rescue story.