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Naked Idioms. Short-Lived. Capitalizing Earth. Hector Protector.
Episode 839
We naked apes have been making up sayings with the word "naked" for a long time. Plus, we talk about how to pronounce "short-lived" and when to capit…
4 years, 11 months ago
The Origin of 'Honeymoon.' 'Where' Versus 'In Which.' Fevesteter.
Episode 838
What does getting married have to do with honey and the moon? What is tricky about the word "where"?
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5 years ago
Weird Words for Alcohol. Starting a Sentence with 'However.' Fam-ished.
Episode 837
What does "Dutch courage" mean? And 10 other weird words for alcohol. Plus, the special thing you have to pay attention to when you start a sentence …
5 years ago
How Storytelling Makes a Difference (and How to Do It Well)
Episode 836
As much as we'd like to believe that people are convinced by facts, years of cognitive research show that we are convinced by stories and emotions (a…
5 years ago
What's the Opposite of Deja Vu? Commas Between Adjectives
Episode 835
You know about deja vu, but do you know about jemais vu, presque vu, deja lu, deja entendu, and deja reve? Plus, we help you figure out when to put c…
5 years ago
The Best Stories from 15 Years of Grammar Girl
Episode 834
We've gone through a lot of stories and tips in 15 years—more than a thousand. Today, I picked a few of my favorites for you.
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5 years, 1 month ago
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 …
5 years, 1 month 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…
5 years, 1 month 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…
5 years, 1 month 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, 1 month ago