Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Why Americans write 'canceled' but still write 'cancellation.' How printing history gave us 'fine print.' Fluff.
Published: 25 February 2025 at 10:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
1059. Ever wonder why Americans use "canceled" with one L but still write "cancellation" with two? We explore how spelling rules, stress patterns, and historical quirks explain this inconsistency. Plus, we look at the history of "fine print" — from typesetting in smoky print shops to its modern use in hiding legal loopholes.
The "fine print" segment was by Glenn Fleishman, a typesetter, graphic designer, journalist, print historian, and author of the book “How Comics Were Made: A Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page,” which you can find at howcomicsweremade.ink.
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