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From "august" to "August." Why the union is always "strong." Nee nee
Episode 1047
1047. This week, we look at word pairs like "august/August" that change their meaning when capitalized and how you can make your meaning clear. Then,…
1 year, 7 months ago
The psychology of fandom, with Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Episode 1046
1046. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, author of the "Inheritance Games" books, discusses how writing from different points of view can help readers connect wit…
1 year, 7 months ago
Does 'Wicked' have a grammar error? What is the 'neck of the woods'? To be Frances
Episode 1045
1045. A listener asked if the song "The Wizard and I" should actually be "The Wizard and Me," so we look at how you can tell. And then we look at int…
1 year, 7 months ago
The case of the mystery dialect, with Natalie Schilling
Episode 1044
1044. Today, I'm talking about a strange disappearance that forensic linguist Natalie Schilling worked on that she calls "the case of the mystery dia…
1 year, 7 months ago
2024 words of the year, with John Kelly
Episode 1043
1043. "Skibidi," "polarization," "brat," "demure," "enshittification," and more. You might get whiplash from the vacillating vibes of all the words t…
1 year, 7 months ago
Twee pop, bumbershoot, amongst, and more, with Ben Yagoda
Episode 1042
1042. Today, I have the bonus segment from my interview with Ben Yagoda back in September. Ben is the author of the book "Gobsmacked: The British Inv…
1 year, 8 months ago
'Home' for the holidays. False friends. Hello, Dentist.
Episode 1041
1041. Today, we talk about the word "home" and its meaning beyond just a structure, and then we talk about false friends — words in different languag…
1 year, 8 months ago
Struggling with AI: Job loss, energy use, and more, with Christopher Penn
Episode 1040
1040. The downsides of AI bother me a lot — job loss, energy use, and the content tsunami. But I also think it's critically important to understand w…
1 year, 8 months ago
Why people say 'I mean ...' Missing pronouns. Cat-tracted.
Episode 1039
1039. People are saying "I mean" more lately, and we explain what it ... means! Plus, we look at why people leave out pronouns at the beginning of se…
1 year, 8 months ago
Why the new CMOS is yellow. Pandemic collectors editions. And more
Episode 1038
1038. Chicago Manual of Style editors Mary Laur and Russell Harper dish on the changes they wanted in CMOS that didn't make it in, why the stylebook …
1 year, 8 months ago