How to Really Talk Like a Pirate. When Do You Need a Comma Before 'Because'?
Based on the history of who was sailing the high seas, it's a good bet pirates sounded a lot more...
11:49
Why and When 'Very Unique' Is Wrong. Capitalizing 'Delta Variant' (or Not). Happy to You.
Instead of grinding your teeth about "very unique," pat yourself on the back for recognizing a...
15:18
Naked Idioms. Short-Lived. Capitalizing Earth. Hector Protector.
We naked apes have been making up sayings with the word "naked" for a long time. Plus, we talk...
12:52
The Origin of 'Honeymoon.' 'Where' Versus 'In Which.' Fevesteter.
What does getting married have to do with honey and the moon? What is tricky about the word...
11:03
Weird Words for Alcohol. Starting a Sentence with 'However.'
What does "Dutch courage" mean? And 10 other weird words for alcohol. Plus, the special thing you...
16:53
How Storytelling Makes a Difference (and How to Do It Well)
As much as we'd like to believe that people are convinced by facts, years of cognitive research...
42:40
What's the Opposite of Deja Vu? Commas Between Adjectives
You know about deja vu, but do you know about jemais vu, presque vu, deja lu, deja entendu, and...
14:48
The Best Stories from 15 Years of Grammar Girl
We've gone through a lot of stories and tips in 15 years—more than a thousand. Today, I picked a...
16:38
What the Two Spellings of Stationary/ery Have to Do with Booksellers. Why Pronunciations Change.
"Stationary" and "stationery" have the same ultimate origin, but they evolved to have different...
15:13
'Fish' or 'Fishes'? Why Do We Call Out 'Nothing' as 'Bupkis'?
"Fish" really does have two plurals. Usually you want "fish," but we talk about the odd examples...
10:40
'If' Versus 'Whether.' Why We Say 'The Exception That Proves the Rule.'
"If" and "whether" are often interchangeable, but sometimes using one or the other will change...
12:11
Trundle, Amble, Roam, and Shamble. How Some Preposition Use Has Changed Over Time.
We look at the surprising origins of some of our favorite words for walking. Plus, how do you...
17:11
Pedantic Nonsense Up with Which I Will Not Put! 'Discreet' or 'Discrete'?
Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing...
14:07
Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction: Right or Wrong? Good 'Subpar' and Bad 'Subpar.'
Many people have been taught that it's wrong to start a sentence with a conjunction, but nearly...
15:41
How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Grumple.
How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Subscribe to the newsletter for regular...
11:35
What Made 'Friends' Funny. How Cicadas Got Their Name.
You laughed and laughed while watching "Friends." One reason it was funny is that the writers...
13:40
Is 'Graduated College' Wrong? Five Wonderful Latin Phrases.
I'm hearing "graduated college" much more often. Is it still wrong? Plus, five bona fide Latin...
11:43
'Bring,' 'Take,' and 'Carry.' 'The Queen's Gambit.' Sweepy Thing.
We go through the simple rules for "bring" and "take," but then talk about the fun exceptions and...
15:11
Writing Dialogue. 'Associate Degree' or 'Associate's Degree'? Wiffy.
Is that dialogue feeling off? We're here to help! Plus, how to write about degrees this...
13:17
'Ketchup' or 'Catsup'? How to Punctuate Questions. Gmoing Gmoing.
Have you seen the tomato sauce spelled two different ways? "Ketchup" is the better spelling, but...
13:43
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