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What the Two Spellings of Stationary/ery Have to Do with Booksellers. Why Pronunciations Change.
Episode 833
"Stationary" and "stationery" have the same ultimate origin, but they evolved to have different meanings and one became tied to paper goods. Also, a …
4 years, 11 months ago
'Fish' or 'Fishes'? Why Do We Call Out 'Nothing' as 'Bupkis'?
Episode 832
"Fish" really does have two plurals. Usually you want "fish," but we talk about the odd examples when "fishes" is the right choice. Plus, "bupkis" ca…
4 years, 11 months ago
'If' Versus 'Whether.' Why We Say 'The Exception That Proves the Rule.'
Episode 831
"If" and "whether" are often interchangeable, but sometimes using one or the other will change the meaning of your sentence. And if you've ever wonde…
4 years, 11 months ago
Trundle, Amble, Roam, and Shamble. How Some Preposition Use Has Changed Over Time.
Episode 830
We look at the surprising origins of some of our favorite words for walking. Plus, how do you know when to write "The car almost ran me over" versus …
5 years ago
Pedantic Nonsense Up with Which I Will Not Put! 'Discreet' or 'Discrete'?
Episode 829
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5 years ago
Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction: Right or Wrong? Good 'Subpar' and Bad 'Subpar.'
Episode 828
Many people have been taught that it's wrong to start a sentence with a conjunction, but nearly all major style guides say doing so is fine. Neal Whi…
5 years ago
How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'? Grumple.
Episode 827
How Long Is a Good Sentence? 'Cord' or 'Chord'?
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Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.
Join the co…
5 years ago
What Made 'Friends' Funny. How Cicadas Got Their Name. Dog Replacer.
Episode 826
You laughed and laughed while watching "Friends." One reason it was funny is that the writers took what you expect from a conversation and flipped it…
5 years ago
Is 'Graduated College' Wrong? Five Wonderful Latin Phrases.
Episode 825
I'm hearing "graduated college" much more often. Is it still wrong? Plus, five bona fide Latin phrases you can use to describe something wonderful.
Su…
5 years, 1 month ago
'Bring,' 'Take,' and 'Carry.' 'The Queen's Gambit.' Sweepy Thing.
Episode 824
We go through the simple rules for "bring" and "take," but then talk about the fun exceptions and dialect forms. Plus, how "The Queen's Gambit" can h…
5 years, 1 month ago