Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

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Apr 25, 2024 • 34min

Exploring the 'Funnest' Parts of Language with Anne Curzan

Linguist Anne Curzan discusses language evolution, the book 'Says Who?', Apple's marketing tips, Ben Franklin's word preferences, the evolution of 'fun', language norms and decision-making, double negatives in English, language perceptions, and evolving language constructs.
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Apr 23, 2024 • 16min

The birth of punctuation: from oral traditions to silent reading. Noun clusters. A wing wang in a mucket.

Unraveling the origin and evolution of punctuation from ancient times to modern usage. Tips on dealing with complex noun clusters in writing. Exploring the curious saying 'wing wang for a mucket' and strategies to combat invasive insects. Concluding with audience engagement, promotions, and gratitude.
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Apr 18, 2024 • 19min

How to become a supercommunicator, with Charles Duhigg

Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg as he discusses mastering communication skills in his new book 'Supercommunicators.' Learn about asking the right questions, matching conversational styles, and understanding the profound impact of effective communication. Discover how to navigate business deals, strengthen relationships, and improve online interactions by becoming a more effective communicator.
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Apr 16, 2024 • 14min

Big changes in Associated Press style. The 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' finale was catawampus. Bappy

977. This week, we cover the latest AP Stylebook updates that were just revealed at the ACES conference. From the switch to Merriam-Webster to easing up on the word "unique," we look at what these changes mean for writers and editors. Plus, we explore "catawampus" thanks to its cameo in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finale. Learn about its quirky origins, regional differences, and wordy friends like "kitty-corner."| Kitty-corner map: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/kitty-corner-or-catty-corner/| Register for my beginning AP style webinar April 23: bit.ly/ggap2024. Use the code MACMIL for a discount.| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ap-update-catawampus/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).| 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. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.
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Apr 9, 2024 • 20min

Pet-Speak: From Meowlogisms to Zoomies. 'Imply' or 'Infer'?

Susan Herman, a retired U.S. government language analyst, talks about pet-speak and linguistic wonders of pet communication. The podcast explores 'imply' versus 'infer', cativerse vocabulary, and doggo dialects. Delve into online language variation, unique pet habits, and etymological insights on the often-confused words. Fun anecdotes and sponsor ads add to the entertaining discussion.
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Apr 2, 2024 • 24min

You love to read. Could you narrate?

Learn all about audiobook narration from David H. Lawrence XVII and his new program 'Narrate Your Own Audiobook.' Discover the benefits of authors narrating their own audiobooks, navigating the ACX platform, overcoming podcasting challenges, embracing authenticity in narration, and upcoming free class for narrating your audiobook.
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Mar 26, 2024 • 18min

Memory, Aging, and the Lingering 'Anyways'

Valerie Fridland, a linguistics professor, discusses how aging affects language comprehension. Topics include processing complex sentences, vocabulary resilience, and the history behind saying 'anyways'.
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Mar 19, 2024 • 17min

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

Explore the mispronunciation of 'nuclear', George W. Bush's unique pronunciation, the evolution of CamelCase, and the significance of family words like 'kudos' and 'family act'
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Mar 12, 2024 • 14min

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

Explore the evolution of human language from ancient theories to modern complexities. Discover Irish-English calques and celebrate the winning NGD poem. Uncover language theories and sound symbolism, along with the impact of Irish on English and the origin of 'Brogue.' Dive into Leslie F. Miller's limerick about Hamlet and her background as a healthcare writer.
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Mar 5, 2024 • 22min

Where did our language start?

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).| 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. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.

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