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Imagine life as a fiction editor (interview with Amy Schneider, author of the Chicago Guide to Copy Editing Fiction)
Episode 932
932. When I saw Amy Schneider's new book, The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction, I realized that I have never seen a book that specializes in edit…
3 years ago
Darth Vader and the word 'father.' Comparatives and superlatives. Pritinear.
Episode 931
931. Darth Vader wasn't the best father (understatement!), but his name is a wonderful jumping off point to discuss the origin of the word "father." …
3 years ago
TV changes how you use language. When to use (and not use) 'more' and 'most'
Episode 930
930. How YOU doin? Today we’re going to MacGyver up some fun memories and tips. And then we'll look at the rules about using "more" and "most" or "-e…
3 years, 1 month ago
Why the heck does 'score' mean 20? How we subconsciously know how to pronounce different plurals.
Episode 929
929. While we were looking into why we use the word "score" to mean "twenty," our minds were blown by how many languages still have remnants of a bas…
3 years, 1 month ago
Why English is the best language for Wordle, with Lynne Murphy
Episode 928
928. Listen to the interview that got me playing Wordle again. Lynne Murphy shared all sorts of things you probably didn't know about this game!
Lynne…
3 years, 1 month ago
It's all uphill from here (or is that downhill?). Eating like a pig (animal idioms).
Episode 927
927. Whether you're a bird brain or a wise old owl, you'll love this week's episode as we fight an uphill battle to understand a language filled with…
3 years, 1 month ago
What's wrong with 'there are' sentences? 5 fun facts about Spanish for Cinco de Mayo
Episode 926
926. You may remember being told not to start sentences with "there are," but do you know why? We have the answer! Plus, for Cinco de Mayo, we have f…
3 years, 1 month ago
Have you begged the question lately? What kind of learning is best: online, remote, distance, or virtual?
Episode 925
925. The existence of the manchineel tree does NOT beg the question of how many different ways a tree can actually hurt you. But it does show that yo…
3 years, 2 months ago
What we get wrong about 'um' and 'uh,' with Valerie Fridland
Episode 924
924. What if I told you that you actually should use "uh" and "um" when you're giving a talk? And what if I told you "dude" was originally an anti-ma…
3 years, 2 months ago
5 things every writer wants to learn, with Roy Peter Clark
Episode 923
923. America's writing coach, Roy Peter Clark, shares his wisdom about the five things every writer he's ever taught wants to learn.
| Transcript: ht…
3 years, 2 months ago