Mignon Fogarty

Grammar Girl. Podcaster. New York Times bestselling author. Quick and Dirty Tips founder. Bad skier. California. she/her

#AmWriting 11/17 Grammar Girl podcast
#AmReading The Sixth Faction (Roth)

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Last Notes

2026-10-26 03:24:41 UTC

Did you know the first words of "Beowulf" might be the equivalent of "you know"?
Laurel Brinton argues "hwæt," long translated "lo" or "behold," is really a discourse marker.
And that's just the start of our look at words we drop into language like sign posts, including "well" and "like" — and whatever happened to “prithee”?
Find out in this week's podcast:
WATCH: https://youtu.be/h9OFkWbpqw4
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1231/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-10-21 17:47:27 UTC

Does your family have your own words or phrases that no one else gets?
Ours is "Chapter 4" for when we're losing steam on a project. It comes from a character giving up in Chapter 4 of a book.
That's a familect: one family's private language.
I play a story about someone's familect at the end of every Grammar Girl podcast.
Record yours for me! Be sure to tell me the story behind it too.
Record at Speakpipe: https://speakpipe.com/grammagirl
Record a voicemail: 833-214-4475
https://zirkus-media.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/117/480/151/190/461/060/original/0f380d260e65ca22.png

2026-10-19 15:02:14 UTC

Ethan Sawyer asked 20 college admissions officers about students using AI, and the word that came up most often was "don't."
Ethan is better known as the College Essay Guy, and we talked about what those admissions counselors actually want to see, a 10-minute trick for students who can't get started, and more.
Check out the podcast!
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qBZXhENQvI
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1229/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast
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2026-10-15 19:03:03 UTC

"Here comes the bride." "Down came the rain." Ever notice these phrases are backward, with the verb before the subject?
It goes all the way back to Old English. And it never works with pronouns: "Here comes John," but not "Here comes he."
The best part is that we follow this "no pronoun" rule without even realizing it.
Check out the podcast for more!
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOuZQ02r-Kg
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1228/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-10-12 21:43:00 UTC

"Don't mess with Texas" sounds like swagger, but its origin is an anti-littering campaign. (Yes, really!) And that's just the beginning of the fun stories in Eli Burnstein's "Phrased and Confused," which explains what happens to famous quotes once they get way out in the world.
We talk about Robert Frost's "road less traveled," "the exception proves the rule," and more!
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi7rcyo5fY0
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1227/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-10-11 21:50:25 UTC

I filled out my ballot today and found this site helpful for figuring out all the California propositions:
https://www.openballot.app/elections/california-general-election-2026/compare
#BeAVoter

2026-10-08 02:31:26 UTC

Just got a mass email from our bank that essentially says, "If you give your username and password to an AI agent, you're on your own."
You've. Been. Warned. 🤣

2026-10-02 19:03:05 UTC

I guessed that "STBX" meant "Starbucks," but I was wrong!
It's one of 5,900 new https://Dictionary.com words (and it means "soon-to-be ex").
This week, I talk with lexicographer Steve Johnson about what made the cut, including "padawan," "quesabirria," "throw hands," and more.
Check it out!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/9GIl04A1DAk
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1225/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast
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2026-09-30 20:27:12 UTC

If I have a heart attack, it's going to be because ^*%(% legal and *(^&*#@ corporate make me use Hubspot for my email newsletter. Arrrgggg.

2026-09-30 19:03:04 UTC

Why do we call ships "she" even when they're named Hercules or Henry?
We apologize to our phones and threaten our printers, so maybe it's no surprise sailors have said, "She's a sturdy one" for centuries.
We go through some of the theories about why in this week's podcast!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/3dXjw-aIuS8
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1224/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast
https://zirkus-media.fra1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/media_attachments/files/117/361/540/037/677/567/original/64e4943a4f103654.jpeg

2026-09-22 21:10:06 UTC

There's a linguistic pattern so reliable that scientists think they can use it to detect alien life. It's Zipf's Law, which states that the most common word appears ~2x as often as the 2nd most common, 3x as often as the 3rd, and so on.
Many, many human languages follow Zipf's law, and researchers have even found the pattern in whale songs. 🐋
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Mmlox5V5L8g
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1222/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-09-03 15:28:48 UTC

I had a dentist appointment first thing this morning that just got canceled because the hygenist called in sick, and I am THRILLED.
Thank you!!! Stay home when you are sick. Don't make other people sick.

2026-08-23 22:28:07 UTC

Copy editing my mom's obituary and evaluating my black dresses for the upcoming memorial. Sigh.

2026-08-22 23:59:30 UTC

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@nprofile…kj4x I don’t know. They sound creative, so I imagine they might have readings or open mic hours.

2026-08-22 21:59:18 UTC

A bookbar just opened in Reno, and I have three thoughts:
1) This is the most Reno thing ever!
2) What a great idea!
3) I can't wait to visit next time I'm in town!
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/117/141/392/073/569/150/original/d5ae42f820773f40.png

2026-08-06 18:50:31 UTC

Love comics, printing history, and weird words? Then you'll love my chat with Mastodon's very own type historian, @nprofile…6p0k!
His favorite word? "Flong": a papier-mâché mold used to cast curved metal plates for 1800s rotary presses.
The whole interview is filled with fascinating tidbits. Check it out!
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2yzrQIVh8Q
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1209/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229

2026-08-02 02:57:29 UTC

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@nprofile…4uch “God damnit, Donut” has become a catchphrase in our house.

2026-07-31 21:57:31 UTC

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@nprofile…xvra Wow!

2026-07-31 21:56:06 UTC

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@nprofile…z2ap How wonderful!

2026-07-31 18:47:33 UTC

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@nprofile…75dj Thanks for sharing!

2026-07-31 17:48:48 UTC

I get to listen to this parody of Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" for work today. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwIB51mGil8

2026-07-29 15:52:53 UTC

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@nprofile…c2ry @nprofile…9kpe 💯

2026-07-28 18:41:10 UTC

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@nprofile…9kpe Thanks

2026-07-28 18:40:56 UTC

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@nprofile…ee8v Thanks so much.
He’s stuck in bed with the leg elevated most of the time and in pain when he does get up to move around or to try to do anything for himself.
We’re both really eager for the MRI because at least we’ll then know what the next few months will look like.

2026-07-28 18:37:17 UTC

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If he needs surgery, I guess we’ll meet our deductible anyway, so the price doesn’t matter, but I’m just so angry that he’s been waiting and suffering AND we’re stuck paying this exorbitant rate. /end

2026-07-28 18:35:14 UTC

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Pat had looked around, and this price is 3-4x more than non-hospital locations.
But we can’t go anywhere else because the insurance approval is only for this location. Plus, if we try to change it will be more days of waiting.
I wish now I’d just said we’d pay cash and called around. We probably could have gotten him in somewhere else faster and for ~$700 —which is obviously still a lot, but it would have been faster and cheaper. 2/x

2026-07-28 18:31:57 UTC

An f’d up tale of the U.S. healthcare system:
Pat needs an MRI, and the orthopedic surgeon wrote the order Friday morning for a local hospital, because it’s somewhat urgent, and he thought we’d be able to get in same day.
But insurance didn’t approve it until Monday, and we couldn’t get an appt until Wednesday. And they just called, and we have to pay $2,200 on arrival because we haven’t met our deductible.
1/x

2026-07-23 22:33:32 UTC

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@nprofile…vnzy Thanks!

2026-07-23 22:33:21 UTC

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@nprofile…75z9 Thanks, Evo!

2026-07-23 15:45:51 UTC

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@nprofile…fqqy Wow, beautiful.

2026-07-23 15:45:33 UTC

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@nprofile…22rs Nice!

2026-07-23 15:44:52 UTC

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@nprofile…6y3x Ha! "Search It Up" sounds like an '80s song to me. :)

2026-07-23 15:44:04 UTC

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@nprofile…4sku Thanks!

2026-07-23 15:43:53 UTC

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@nprofile…tspu Thanks! We have our first real doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I'll ask.

2026-07-23 15:05:58 UTC

Pat tore his Achilles tendon Monday night, and I just realized that in middle age, you should be lifting weights not to look hot, but to prepare for the day you need to care for another adult-sized human. (And unfortunately, I hadn’t been lifting weights for either reason.)
Also, I’m so grateful that at least *he* is strong and able to do a lot of the work of moving himself around.
(And don’t worry; I’m being super careful because if I get injured or sick right now, we’re truly f’d.)

2026-07-20 21:15:59 UTC

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@nprofile…ug2f Nice!

2026-07-20 20:41:18 UTC

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https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/954/237/363/481/232/original/06a3b740985a6715.jpeg

2026-07-20 20:40:09 UTC

Update: I bought beach chairs. 1/2

2026-07-20 19:03:04 UTC

"So, what's your book about?" Authors and readers struggle with this question because they *describe* instead of *sell*. Describing says what. Selling says why.
Communication coach Joel Schwartzberg shares his formulas for nonfiction and fiction pitches — plus, when (and where) to add a personal anecdote.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/kznR2cZ0XYw
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/how-to-answer-the-question-whats-your-book-about/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast
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2026-07-18 15:45:47 UTC

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@nprofile…qurt I completely agree with that.

2026-07-18 00:29:58 UTC

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@nprofile…em2h @nprofile…yx65 In the posts I saw, he said he wrote the piece himself and just used ChatGPT to get the links to the references, which he then checked himself and the copy editors also checked. (People "caught" him because the left the ChatGPT tracking links in the URLs.)
The people I've seen piling on in the comments didn't seem to understand the difference between using ChatGPT as a way to find web pages and using it for original research.

2026-07-16 19:06:28 UTC

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@nprofile…w0mx Thanks for the mention today!

2026-07-16 00:29:08 UTC

I got two fillings today, and I am grateful to live in the age of modern dental care.
And I am even more grateful to live in the age of pharmaceuticals right now because, holy mother of god, that was a lot of pain. 😬

2026-07-15 20:39:23 UTC

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@nprofile…w0mx I can’t figure out how to link directly to this edition of her newsletter, but that link will take you to the sign-up page. It’s a good one in general!

2026-07-15 20:38:35 UTC

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@nprofile…w0mx Jane Friedman’s Bottom Line publishing newsletter had a good overview of this study and some of its limitations this morning.
First, listeners didn’t listen to both AI and human and then pick AI.
Second, it compared multi-cast AI narration w/single voice human narration, so respondents may have just preferred multi-cast.
Still, people who’d be willing to listen to AI narration went from 31% to 65%.
https://janefriedman.com/the-bottom-line-janes-publishing-industry-newsletter/

2026-07-14 18:19:33 UTC

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@nprofile…z2ap Sorry, I have no idea, but I imagine someone doing research on changes over time might appreciate a library having older editions. You'd have to ask them.

2026-07-05 02:02:24 UTC

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@nprofile…fqqy Thanks!

2026-07-05 00:56:32 UTC

Pat does not eat cheese on his burgers, but when someone asked who wants cheddar and who wants Swiss, Pat asked, “Why not both?”
Pat is now the hero of dinner.

2026-07-04 19:48:49 UTC

Ginger mint lemonade at the parade. Highly re!
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/863/434/779/851/158/original/7f1234b6956a1fab.jpeg

2026-06-29 03:25:23 UTC

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@nprofile…eutd It looks amazing!

2026-06-26 18:47:15 UTC

Sharing my best (US-based) money-saving tip again: Pirate Ship.
I just mailed a big box of papers that would have been ~$19 if I had taken it to the post office. It was only $10.30 with Pirate Ship.
I printed out the label at home and still dropped it off at the same post office. https://pirateship.com

2026-06-26 02:41:31 UTC

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@nprofile…lqz5 I realize I'm super late to this, but Neal Whitman wrote about the positive "anymore" for me back in 2015: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/qdtarchive/the-positive-anymore/

2026-06-23 19:30:21 UTC

My camera doesn't do it justice, but I feel like I could sit and stare at this ocean forevermore.
https://cdn.masto.host/zirkus/media_attachments/files/116/801/076/725/450/124/original/88dca3498e2da1e1.jpeg

2026-06-13 00:13:17 UTC

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And to be in your face about it (and I'm going to presume I'm allowed some leeway today) ... I suggest that it might make the world a better place for your loved ones some horrible day in the future if you did something like this for them too.
With that, it's been a day. I'm wrecked and am going to go escape into mindless TV.
Thanks again though. Your messages did help a little. I'm not alone, but I'm still away from my family, and they made me feel less isolated. 3/3

2026-06-13 00:10:46 UTC

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Apparently, when she actually did make it home, she then put the letter in an envelope in a drawer. It wasn't a long letter, but it had a sentence or two for each of us, and I'll cherish it forever.
Her final wish before signing off with all her love was for us to make the world a better place.
It's a wonderful thing to have. She was always thinking of others, and she made the world a better place by being in it and made it a better place for us today by leaving this gift. 2/x

2026-06-13 00:09:24 UTC

Thank you to everyone who posted kind messages about the loss of my mother. I appreciate you all so much, and I have a small nice story to share.
This morning my stepdad found a letter she had written for us back in 1995 labeled "last thoughts."
Apparently, she had been on a trip and something unknown happened that made her feel like she might not make it home. 1/x

2026-06-11 18:41:14 UTC

I didn’t make it. She’s gone.

2026-06-11 16:48:32 UTC

I just got a call that my mother is in the ICU and probably won't make it through the day. She was fine yesterday, and I'm in shock. We just said goodbye on Facetime. Rushing to to the airport to try to see her in person again. Hug your loved ones.

2026-06-09 15:45:56 UTC

New grads always ask me how to find freelance work, so I put together my best tips.
→ Here's just one: Find local events a national publication might want to cover. An editor may be more willing to take a chance on a new writer to save money on travel.
I got gigs this way as a new science writer by offering to cover conferences.
Share this with people you know who are looking for freelance work!
WATCH:https://youtu.be/N7BCrTCVqz4
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1192/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229

2026-06-08 19:37:35 UTC

FYI, the reason I put up the poll about the phrase "going viral" is because I saw something I know was negative being described as "going viral" in an article, and I thought it was misleadingly implying it was positive.
But then I thought maybe it was just me ascribing positivity to the phrase when other people don't.
But it looks like most people would assume it was positive too if no other info was given.

2026-06-08 01:39:48 UTC

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@nprofile…vufg I was trying to get across the idea that the answers *sound* confident, but I get what you're saying. It's kind of the same problem you get with "hallucination" and ascribing human-like words to the output.

2026-06-06 20:25:07 UTC

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@nprofile…8h55 I'm guessing no. Some people don't like any human condition applied to AI, and I imagine the person I talked to who thought they could recognize a hallucinating person/AI would also think they could recognize a delusional person/AI.
I take more words, but I think it's better to explain that it makes errors that don't sound like errors.

2026-06-06 20:13:12 UTC

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@nprofile…gdlk Interesting!
Sarah Kaufman ("Verb Your Enthusiasm") was recently a guest on my podcast and talked about how verbs/words influence perception. I'll get the details wrong here from memory, but it was something like if you describe something as a car "crash," people will think it was worse than if you call it a car "accident."
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grammar-girl-for-writers-and-language-lovers/id173429229?i=1000764659849

2026-06-06 20:09:28 UTC

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@nprofile…pl2l That's great!

2026-06-06 18:23:22 UTC

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@nprofile…zcg8 Thanks!

2026-06-06 17:05:19 UTC

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@nprofile…t0xx Yes, I was thinking about that/wondering about that as I was posting, but that is the common perception.

2026-06-06 17:03:52 UTC

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@nprofile…uy6y Good point.
Also, the error rate now highly depends on which model you're talking about, but I think that's the rate for those that are most widely used -- e.g., the free models.

2026-06-06 16:46:50 UTC

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The word "hallucination" isn't going away — it's a widely used industry term — but we need to explain it better for beginners:
"Hallucination" is just a fancy word for "confidently makes mistakes":
"Remember: AI hallucinates, and you need to confirm all facts" should be something like "Remember: AI confidently makes mistakes, and you need to confirm all facts" or "AI tells you things that are wrong in a way that sounds completely believable. Confirm all facts!"

2026-06-06 16:46:10 UTC

I've never been opposed to the word "hallucinating" for describing how AI makes mistakes ... until now.
I just talked to someone who thought AI hallucinations would be obvious because it would be obvious if you talked to a *person* who was hallucinating.
In other words, they equated "hallucination" with "sounds wacko" and accepted AI output as true because it sounded level headed.
1/2

2026-06-06 16:42:03 UTC

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@nprofile…99z9 🤣

2026-06-06 16:41:03 UTC

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@nprofile…eljp That's great to hear!

2026-06-05 17:18:15 UTC

Imagine being hospitalized against your will and handed a rights form that says “habeas corpus.” Plain language fixes that.
Plain language isn’t dumbing down. It’s good writing.
This week, I talked with Iva Cheung about plain language and got tips including test documents with five readers, use jargon when readers need it, and replace nominalizations with verbs.
Learn more:
WATCH: https://youtu.be/QvGcABMS00I
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1191/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-06-03 21:43:00 UTC

Which is correct: "a real trouper" or "a real trooper"?
The persevering-through-adversity phrase came from theater, so "trouper" (with a U) was the only correct spelling until ~1970. But "trooper" surpassed it in the late 1990s.
Garner's Modern English Usage doesn't like it, but people seem to be voting with their usage for the other spelling.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/3YHP2mx27Go
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1190/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-06-03 16:04:08 UTC

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@nprofile…f95k I just looked at the packaging, and this one is specifically called a *heat* mask.

2026-06-03 16:03:05 UTC

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@nprofile…vnzy Thanks!

2026-06-03 16:02:58 UTC

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@nprofile…5dlp That's actually a good idea.

2026-06-02 21:43:01 UTC

Have you ever wondered whether Yoda speaks "real English"? Unusual grammar, he has — but he uses English words, normal plurals, and normal verb conjugation.
It's mostly his word order that's different. And English speakers do it too!
Check out the whole show for more, including which human groups speak like Yoda:
WATCH: https://youtu.be/42YrsnxIqgg
READ:https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1190/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-31 20:55:02 UTC

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@nprofile…lg8a That sounds fun!

2026-05-31 20:03:36 UTC

I have something weird going on with my eyes, and I need to do warm compresses.
If you ever need to do something like that, a mask like this is VASTLY better than a wet drippy washcloth! So glad I got it.
https://myhalos.com/products/heated-eye-mask

2026-05-29 13:32:47 UTC

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@nprofile…3xx2 Wow, thanks for listening.

2026-05-29 00:06:05 UTC

About 10% of viewers click "like" on my YouTube videos?
Is that high? That feels high. I'm just going to go with it being high. <nods and walks off>

2026-05-28 22:35:01 UTC

If you've thought your story wasn't "big enough" to write about, Grant Faulkner has news for you.
You can write seven memoirs by age 43. Your "ordinary" story matters.
If you've been hesitating to write your story, give this episode a listen. Grant's encouragement to just start writing — without worrying about rules or classes — might be exactly what you need to hear.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/LxOMHTJ7aOk
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1189/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-27 21:43:00 UTC

Recipes use a bossy writing style:
— Whisk eggs
— Fold in cheese
Cookbooks are basically barking orders at you!
This specialized form strips away all the unnecessary words, dropping subjects, articles, and even objects.
But recipes weren't always this efficient. Medieval recipes were as vague as "Boil until it be enough."
Learn more about the history of recipe writing in this week's podcast:
WATCH: https://youtu.be/SKnAJUpbE50
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1188/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229

2026-05-27 16:09:04 UTC

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@nprofile…lg8a We wrote about "Braille" back in December!
The short answer is "Braille" is capitalized when referring to the man, but in both AP style and Chicago style, it’s lowercase when referring to the writing system.
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/e1146/

2026-05-27 16:00:53 UTC

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@nprofile…lg8a Interesting. I'm finding that "omissive" isn't commonly used. It's more likely "omission" or even more commonly "ellipsis," and I think Karen was combining imperative and omissive; I don't think they are, together, a typical name.
ChatGPT is most likely to hallucinate when you ask it about something that doesn't exist, so it doesn't surprise me that it's making something up to give you an answer.

2026-05-27 15:52:13 UTC

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@nprofile…lg8a Usually we keep names that become verbs capitalized, at least until they become ubiquitous. I wrote about it back in 2019:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/qdtarchive/do-you-capitalize-google/

2026-05-27 00:50:01 UTC

Imagine arriving late for dinner in 1902 and your friend saying he's ordered you bee's knees and canary birds' tongues.
That wasn't a real meal — it was part of the early life of "the bee's knees."
Today it means something fantastic, but before that it was a joke about rare delicacies. Check out the podcast for more!
WATCH: https://youtu.be/dyYBhCXXdrY
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1188/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-23 20:29:51 UTC

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@nprofile…fx3m So many outraging things these days, but yes, this is awful.

2026-05-23 19:03:03 UTC

As a general rule, you should use a comma to introduce quoted material or dialogue, but there are three times you shouldn't. https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/when-to-use-commas-before-quotations/

2026-05-23 15:11:23 UTC

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@nprofile…ng8x Agreed

2026-05-23 15:07:39 UTC

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@nprofile…ng8x I was just one second ago saying essentially the same thing to Pat over breakfast, but a small point is that the story says he wasn't laid off. He quit (but certainly he could also see the writing on the wall).

2026-05-23 14:52:32 UTC

The music video is great.
Exclusive: Departing Meta Staffer Posts Biting Anti-AI Video Internally Amid Mass Layoffs:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/meta-video-ai-training-layoffs-video-exclusive-mci-bosworth-frenk/

2026-05-21 19:03:01 UTC

This week, I talked with Joel Schwartzberg about his book "Get to the Point."
It's a classic Grammar Girl conversation — filled with quick and dirty tips you'll be able to use right away to make your writing (and speaking) better.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/oZAdCxmc4jI
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1187/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-20 21:43:00 UTC

The Scripps National Spelling Bee starts May 26, so it's a great time to ask why we call it a bee.
"Bee" may come from the buzzing insects (but maybe not).
Back in the 1400s, people said busy workers were "busy as bees." Later, Americans called work gatherings "bees" — like quilting bees — where people worked together like insects in a hive.
Check out the whole story:
WATCH: https://youtu.be/SLTs67nvWTQ
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1186/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-20 15:14:49 UTC

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@nprofile…75z9 patreon.com/grammargirl

2026-05-19 21:43:01 UTC

Have you ever heard a news report talk about "five troops" and wondered, "Wait … five *groups* or five *people*?"
If so, you're not alone!."Troops" has confused people for centuries.
Historically, a "troop" was a group. But by the 1700s, writers used "troops" for individuals.
This week, Neal Whitman walks us through the style options.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/TUIoqDzaScM
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/grammar-girl/1186/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-19 20:15:20 UTC

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@nprofile…et4r I'll be talking about troopers and troupers next week!

2026-05-18 19:03:03 UTC

"Lingua franca" literally means "Franks' language" and goes back to the Crusades, when a pidgin emerged for trade and warfare.
But lingua francas aren't new. Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, and French all dominated at different times. Since the 1940s, English reigns, but Mandarin and Arabic are rising.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/NFbGLoZ2hbY
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/1184/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-17 23:37:17 UTC

"Girls that have long hair buy more scrunchies." Does that sound wrong?
You're not alone if you think you should use "who" instead of "that" for people, but writers as well-known as Chaucer and Shakespeare have been doing it for centuries.
The objection only started in the early 1900s.
Learn more:
WATCH: https://youtu.be/NFbGLoZ2hbY
READ: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/transcripts/1184/
LISTEN: https://pod.link/173429229
#GrammarGirl #podcast

2026-05-16 19:03:01 UTC

When you're talking about a period of time that must lapse before something happens, "till" and "until" are equivalent. Don't believe it? Check a dictionary. https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/does-until-include-the-date/