Why 'forte' has three pronunciations. What is 'playing the dozens'? Ornish

Why 'forte' has three pronunciations. What is 'playing the dozens'? Ornish

1156. This week, we look at the pronunciation chaos surrounding "forte" and "pianoforte," from the French fencing term meaning "strong point" to the Italian musical direction meaning "loud." Then, we look at "playing the dozens" — the African American insult game with a mysterious origin.

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Episoder(1013)

632 - 'Ask' as a Noun. Ships as 'She.'

632 - 'Ask' as a Noun. Ships as 'She.'

This week we answer a listener question about "the ask" and look at whether it's OK to call boats, cars, and countries "she."FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://...

2 Aug 201811min

631 - Anniversaries. Conversate.

631 - Anniversaries. Conversate.

It's the 12th anniversary of the Grammar Girl podcast! Or is that the 12-year anniversary? No! In honor of this illustrious event, we look at why people say they "conversate" and why they may want to ...

26 Jul 201813min

630 - Who Wrote the ABC Song? Shark Idioms!

630 - Who Wrote the ABC Song? Shark Idioms!

This week, we talk about who wrote the alphabet song that helps people learn their ABCs, and we investigate six silly idioms about sharks. #SharkWeekFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/gram...

19 Jul 201811min

629 - 'Gourmet' or 'Gourmand'? Why July 14 Is Called Bastille Day.

629 - 'Gourmet' or 'Gourmand'? Why July 14 Is Called Bastille Day.

In honor of Bastille Day (July 14), we talk about the difference between a gourmet and a gourmand, and we talk about words the French and English use to insult each other.FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: h...

12 Jul 201811min

628 - Why 'Bag' and 'Beg' Sound the same to some people? Does 'Texas' Mean 'Crazy'?

628 - Why 'Bag' and 'Beg' Sound the same to some people? Does 'Texas' Mean 'Crazy'?

This week, we’ll talk about why I pronounce the word “aggravate” in a way that irritated many of you, the difference between “interment” and “internment,” and why Norwegians use the word "Texas" to me...

5 Jul 201812min

627 - How to Write a Great Cover Letter. 'Kinda' and 'Wanna': Real Words or Not?

627 - How to Write a Great Cover Letter. 'Kinda' and 'Wanna': Real Words or Not?

How to write a great cover letter. Also, we say "kinda," "wanna," and "gonna," so why don't we write them?FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/gramma...

28 Jun 201811min

626 - ‘Aggravate’ Versus ‘Irritate’ What Is a Functional Shift?

626 - ‘Aggravate’ Versus ‘Irritate’ What Is a Functional Shift?

Some people say you shouldn't use "aggravate" to mean "irritate" or "annoy." It has to do with the word's origin. Also, does it irritate you when people use "invite" as a noun?FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitt...

21 Jun 20188min

625 - ‘Dinner’ or ‘Supper’? How to Write a Thank-You Note

625 - ‘Dinner’ or ‘Supper’? How to Write a Thank-You Note

‘Dinner’ or ‘Supper’? How to Write a Thank-You Note FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargir...

14 Jun 201812min

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