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Writing Dialogue. 'Associate Degree' or 'Associate's Degree'? Wiffy.
Episode 823
Is that dialogue feeling off? We're here to help! Plus, how to write about degrees this graduation season.
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5 years, 1 month ago
'Ketchup' or 'Catsup'? How to Punctuate Questions. Gmoing Gmoing.
Episode 822
Have you seen the tomato sauce spelled two different ways? "Ketchup" is the better spelling, but the history of the word is pretty interesting. We al…
5 years, 1 month ago
What Does ‘Op-Ed’ Really Mean? The Perfect Paragraph Length. Items.
Episode 821
"Op-ed" may not mean what you think it means. Then we discuss how long a paragraph should be.
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5 years, 2 months ago
The Intrusive "Of." What Makes English Weird.
Episode 820
We talk about the difference between "a prince of a fellow" and "not too good of a time," and then we look at two things that make English especially…
5 years, 2 months ago
How to Write Faster. The Origin of the Odd Letter W
Episode 819
12 practical tips and tools that will help you write faster in the time you already have. Also, we explore why we call a letter that looks like two V…
5 years, 2 months ago
'Borrow' and 'Lend.' When to Use 'Nor.' Boncho.
Episode 818
We use a children's book and a Shakespeare play to talk about "borrow" and "lend," and then we help with the complexities of using "neither" and "nor…
5 years, 2 months ago
Squirrelly Animal Verbs. 'People,' 'Peoples,' and 'Persons': Why It Matters.
Episode 817
8.17 To hog, to ram, to bird dog. We run through a fun list of animal-inspired verbs. Plus, amazingly, it wasn't that long ago that usage experts rec…
5 years, 3 months ago
A vast number of words have surprising origins. We talked about some today, including "scientist," "impressionist," "beatnik," and "paradigm."
Episode 816
A vast number of words have surprising origins. We talked about some today with author Ralph Keyes, including "scientist," "impressionist," "beatnik,…
5 years, 3 months ago
'Normalcy' or 'Normality'? A Punctuation Question from a Famous Movie Line. Taco Cats.
Episode 815
Did you know that in the book "Gone with the Wind," Rhett Butler said "My dear..." instead of "Frankly, my dear..."? Also, are we getting back to nor…
5 years, 3 months ago
It's Not Just March. Other Months Have 'Ides' Too! Are You on the Pig's Back Today?
Episode 814
Instead of bewaring the ides of March, I'm going to beware engaging with the Roman calendar. What a fascinating mess! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, …
5 years, 3 months ago