Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

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'

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.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exploring the nuances between 'addictive' and 'addicting'. Types of nouns: concrete, abstract, compound, and collective nouns. Delving into the personal significance of 'folly' through a family story.

Guest Joe Alwyn discusses language evolution through loan translations in Miami post the Cuban Revolution. Exploring compound nouns in English and the impact of charity on 'tortured man club' name. Touching on bilingual language fusion in the southwest and the importance of choosing Wayne State College for success.

Taylor Swift's use of 'Poets' without an apostrophe, the distinction between plural and possessive forms in phrases, exploring the meaning and complexity of love in different languages, and the challenges posed by the semantic broadness of love in English.

The podcast discusses the use of 'a' or 'an' before the letter 'H' and explores pronunciation differences between American and British English. They also delve into indefinite and definite articles, share interesting language phenomena, and discuss stories from listeners.

Explore the rise and fall of the letter H with linguistics professor Kate Burridge and psychology professor Catherine McBride. They discuss debates over its name, the disappearing act of the letter H, its historical context and resurgence in English, the importance of letter sounds in learning to read, the evolution of the word 'what' and the disappearance of the 'H' sound, and family dialects.

Listener questions on spelling differences like 'canceled,' idiomatic phrases, zero plurals for words like 'fish,' linguistic choices with verbs and episode numbers, usage of 'at about' in time expressions, regional language variations with mangos vs. green peppers

Guest Matthew G. Kirschenbaum discusses how technology shapes writing styles, from Nietzsche's writing ball to modern word processors. The origin of 'Goody Two Shoes' is explored, revealing its positive beginnings. The podcast delves into how technology impacts literary style and the evolution of language meanings.