Podcast Episodes
Back to Search621 - ‘Council’ or ‘Counsel’? Direct and Indirect Quotations. Oxymorons.
Episode 621
People have been confusing "council" and "counsel" since the 16th century. Sometimes you put single words such as "yes" and "no" in quotation marks, …
7 years, 10 months ago
620 - When to Capitalize 'Mom.' In the Doldrums.
Episode 620
Whether you capitalize "mom" depends on how you are using the word, and did you know that "the doldrums" are an actual location?
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE…
7 years, 10 months ago
619 - Co-worker. Barefaced and Baldfaced Lies. Mixed Metaphors.
Episode 619
Co-worker. Barefaced and Baldfaced Lies. Mixed Metaphors.
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE
Does Co-Worker Always Take a Hyphen? http://bit.ly/co-worker-hy…
7 years, 10 months ago
618 - Jazz and Thunder. Say Your Piece (or Peace)?
Episode 618
Are sports team names singular or plural? Do you say your piece or say your peace?
FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE
http://bit.ly/sports-teams
http://bit.…
7 years, 10 months ago
617 - 'Lay' and 'Lie.' 'Grill' and 'Grille.' 'Warsh.'
Episode 617
This week, we talk about why people say "warsh" instead of "wash"(it's called in the intrusive R), about why we have two spellings for the word that …
7 years, 11 months ago
616 - The Prodigal Tongue. Odoriferous. Battle Royale.
Episode 616
This week, I have a delightful excerpt from Lynne Murphy's new book "The Prodigal Tongue" about the differences between British and American English,…
7 years, 11 months ago
615 - Humor with Adverbs. Noisome. Receipts. Case Quarters.
Episode 615
This week, we talk about how adverbs can be squishy in what they modify and how that can lead to funny double meanings, about the difference between …
7 years, 11 months ago
614 - Illeism. Named For or After? Misinformation and Disinformation.
Episode 614
When famous characters or people like Hercule Poirot and LeBron James refer to themselves by their own name, it's called illeism, and it can actually…
7 years, 11 months ago
613 - Dictionary.com Starts Defining Emoji (an interview with Jane Solomon)
Episode 613
Dictionary.com has added emoji definitions to its site, and I have an interview with the lexicographer behind the decision, Jane Solomon. Emoji are a…
7 years, 11 months ago
612 - The Pin/Pen Merger. American. 'Half-Staff' or 'Half-Mast'?
Episode 612
This week, we talk about why some people say "pin" and "pen" the same way, why citizens of the United States call themselves "Americans" when other p…
8 years ago