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Split Infinitives. I Can't Even. Macken.
Episode 893
893. You may be surprised by the origin of the split infinitive "rule" and by the times they are OK...or even necessary! Also, we look at slang phras…
3 years, 9 months ago
Why Some People Say 'Might Could.' The Spanish Influence on English. Mickle Story.
Episode 892
892. We recently got a question about why people use a type of double-verb construction, such as "We might could go to the store." We have the answer…
3 years, 9 months ago
Accent Hallucination. False Ranges. Thanks, Chris.
Episode 891
891. Your mind will be blown when you learn about accent hallucination. (Mine was!) And then we'll learn how to avoid false ranges.
Transcript: https:…
3 years, 10 months ago
'Skrrt,' 'Bottle Episode,' 'Skeuomorphs' and more. An Interview with John Kelly of Dictionary.com.
Episode 890
890. John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com, talks with Mignon about a bunch of fun new words and about how words get added to th…
3 years, 10 months ago
What's up with Splooting? Capitalizing Titles. Momilltellya.
Episode 889
889. Splooting squirrels have taken the internet by storm. We look at where this fun word comes from and how far back it goes. Plus, I help you decid…
3 years, 10 months ago
How Gendered Languages Are Changing. Jugopop.
Episode 888
888. This week we take a fascinating look at how highly gendered languages are dealing with the drive to become more inclusive. Plus, we look at the …
3 years, 10 months ago
How Using Pliers Improves Your Language. Weird Possessives. Ducky File.
Episode 887
887. An amazing study shows that tool use and language are connected in the brain and shows how using one can make you better at the other, and vice …
3 years, 10 months ago
A Riotous Good Time with Ellen Jovin of the Grammar Table
Episode 886
886. The delightful Ellen Jovin of the Grammar Table (you may have seen her sitting on the street answering grammar questions in your city) joined me…
3 years, 11 months ago
Ripe. Lede. Prevent. Awesome. Fulsome. MacGuffin. Daisy.
Episode 885
885. It's time for our quarterly listener question extravaganza! I answer your questions about the words "ripe," "lede," "prevent," "awesome," and "f…
3 years, 11 months ago
Why Nobody Says 'You're Welcome' Anymore. Whose. Chimichanga.
Episode 884
884. People often ask why people say "no worries" or "no problem" instead of "you're welcome," and we actually found an answer! Also, we look at whet…
3 years, 11 months ago