776 - Why a Detective Searched for 'Clews' in a 1929 Novel. ‘Systemic’ or ‘Systematic’?
Our writer was surprised when he came across "clew" instead of "clue" in a detective novel from 1929, and the explanation includes a great story about the origin of the word "clue." Also, people have ...
18 Jun 202011min
775 - Why We Talk About 'Bad Apples.' 'A Few' Versus 'a Couple'
We started to wonder why people seem to forget the second half of the saying about bad apples. Plus, we settle a dispute about the difference between "a couple" and "a few."Read the transcripts: Bad A...
11 Jun 202011min
774 - Roy Peter Clark on Civic Clarity
Roy Peter Clark has been teaching writing at the Poynter Institute since 1977 and regularly offers up some of the best writing advice I see. Today, we talked about Writing differently during the pande...
4 Jun 202033min
773 - Postal Zones. Reenter. Bougie.
How postal zones led to ZIP codes. Why I like to put a hyphen in "re-enter." How "bougie," which today has a negative connotation, came from an older word that meant simply "middle class."Read the tra...
28 Mai 202011min
772 - The History of ZIP Codes and Addresses (Plus How to Write Them)
If you've ever wondered how to capitalize 'ZIP Code' (or is that 'ZIP code' or 'zip code'?), this one is for you. Plus, I have an interview with Deirdre Mask about this history and importance of addre...
21 Mai 202021min
771 - Writing Lessons from Bad Job Applications
Our guest, Lindsay McMahon of the All Ears English podcast, recently hired and now shares the lessons she learned going through a lot of bad résumés and cover letters.Read the transcripts: Dos and Don...
14 Mai 202015min
770 - 'Muslim' or 'Moslem'? 'Fishfolk'? 'Fishist'? What Is the Gender-Neutral Term for 'Fisherman'?
Why do we use the new spelling "Muslim" and not the older spelling "Moslem" anymore? Also, we talk about AP Stylebook updates and end up on a fun tangent about a gender-neutral term for "fisherman."Re...
7 Mai 202013min
769 - Why Do We Say 'Cool Your Heels'? What's Up With 'Zhuzh'?
Here's why we say "cool your heels" and "cool your jets"—they're different! Also, we take a close look at the word "zhuzh" which means to make something more interesting or attractive. You may have ne...
30 Apr 202018min
