800 - What Did You Step On? And Is That a Desert or a Dessert?
Here's why you can ignore zombie rules and why it's actually better to write "What did you step on?" than "On what did you step?" (But also when you can't ignore those rules!) Then, I have two great m...
3 Des 20209min
799 - What 'Whence' Has to Do with 'Where Are You At?' 'Regime' or 'Regimen'?
Why the decline of 'whence' and 'whither' led to 'Where are you at?' And weird memory tricks to help you remember the difference between 'regime,' 'regimen,' and 'regiment.' (Don't say you weren't war...
26 Nov 202011min
798 - Why 'Hilarious' Is Funnier than 'Hysterical.' How to Start a Novel.
The root of "hysterical" may surprise you (and make you want to use "hilarious" instead). Also, things to remember when starting a novel.Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you l...
19 Nov 202015min
797 - Why Dickens' Character Names Are So Revealing. 'Continual' or 'Continuous'?
What Dickens can teach you about choosing your characters' names. Plus, how to remember the frustratingly different meanings of "continuous" and "continual."Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to...
12 Nov 202014min
796 - What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe?
What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe?Use the hashtag #WhereIListen and tag me to show me where you listen to the Grammar Girl podcast.Subscribe to the newsletter for regula...
6 Nov 202012min
795 - Why People Use Scare Quotes. 'Dialog' or 'Dialogue'?
We have some theories on why people write things such as "'fresh' meat." Plus, we dig in to the two spellings of "dialog" (or is that "dialogue"?).Read the transcript: Scare Quotes. 'Dialog' or 'Dialo...
29 Okt 202010min
794 - Create Characters as Great as Hamlet. How to Format Internal Dialogue
6 steps to help you create gripping characters. Plus, we talk about how to format internal dialogue: italics, quotation marks, or nothing?Read the transcript: Character Creation. Formatting Internal D...
22 Okt 202014min
793 - Why Journalists Use Misspellings Like 'Lede' and 'Spox'
Journalists "bury the lede," not the "lead." But why do they spell it that way? And what do HTK, TK, and CQ stand for? From "hed" to "spox," here's all the journo jargon that's fit to print.Read the t...
15 Okt 202015min
