Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
By QuickAndDirtyTips.com
Five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing and feed your love of the English language. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. Grammar Girl is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast.
Latest episode
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Exploring slang, AI ghost words, and language change, with Heddwen Newton
1068. Did Yosemite Sam ever actually say "tarnation"? What’s "fridgescaping," and why is it trending? And why is AI filling the internet with nonsense words like “lrtsjerk”? Linguist and translator Heddwen Newton shares her favorite new slang, explai… -
What’s wrong with ‘"'til"? Why tiny words control conversations. How many cookies?
1067. Think "'til" is a valid alternative to "until"? Think again! We learn about the difference between "till" and "until" and why many style guides frown on "'til." Then, we uncover the hidden power of interjections—words like "um," "huh," and "mm-… -
The best punctuation book, period, with June Casagrande
1066. Do you really need that comma? Should your dashes have spaces? Is there ever just one "right" way to punctuate? June Casagrande, author of "The Best Punctuation Book, Period," busts punctuation myths, compares style guides, and looks at the sur… -
Why we say ‘OK.’ How tea shaped English slang. Poetry winner
1065. Is it "OK" or "okay"? We look at the surprising history of one of the world’s most recognized English words and how a 19th-century election campaign helped it stick. Then, we have some fun with Victorian tea culture and the many idioms it inspi… -
Behind the scenes of Wikipedia: editing, accuracy, and notability, with Jonathan Rick
1064. Is Wikipedia the last refuge on online truth? With AI-generated content and misinformation spreading online, Wikipedia is growing in esteem, but who decides what gets published? How does Wikipedia determine things like credibility and notabilit… -
How did our holidays become so 'corny'? Why do some words have accent marks in English? Cubby hole
1063. Why is it called "corned beef" when there’s no corn involved? We look at how the word "corn" evolved to mean different things over time. Then, we look at the role of accent marks in English — why some words keep them, why others lose them, and … -
Why can't kids read (and what we can do about it), with Kate Crist
1062. Did you know that 21% of U.S. adults struggle with basic literacy? In this eye-opening episode, literacy specialist Kate Crist talks about the literacy crisis in America, how reading is taught incorrectly in schools, and what we can do to fix i… -
The mystery of ‘it’ in English. The most dramatic moments in grammar history. Ghost Town Mad, the song
1061. Ever wonder why we say "It's raining" even though "it" doesn't refer to anything? We explain the logic behind this quirky English rule. Then, we look at some of the most dramatic moments in grammar history, including a semicolon duel, a costly … -
From 'Parasite' to 'Emilia Pérez': How movies shape language, with Andrew Cheng
1060. Why do villains always have British accents? Why was "Parasite" a game-changer for non-English films? And how is AI secretly shaping the voices you hear on screen? With the Oscars coming up, Dr. Andrew Cheng talks about how films are evolving t… -
Why Americans write 'canceled' but still write 'cancellation.' How printing history gave us 'fine print.' Fluff.
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 t…