807 - Why We Call Them Sea 'Shanties.' A Trick to Remember How to Spell 'Conscience'
If you're enjoying sea shanties these days, have you wondered why they're called "shanties"? Plus, I always have a hard time remembering how to spell "conscience." Here's my trick for getting it right...
21 Jan 202112min
806 - Why You Should Try Fanfiction. How to Find Tricky Pronunciations.
Why writing fanfiction can make you a better overall writer. Plus, my tricks for figuring out tricky pronunciations.Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing ...
14 Jan 202116min
805 - 'Acedia': the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now
"Acedia": the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now. Plus, when does "thank you" need a hyphen?Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing cours...
7 Jan 202111min
804 - Another Think/Thing Coming. 'Sanction,' 'Cleave,' 'Dust,' and More
Are Americans ruining the put-down "You've got another think coming," or was it the British band Judas Priest? Also, everyone loves Janus words like "sanction," "cleave," and "dust." We talk about wha...
31 Des 202014min
803 - Pandemic, COVID, anderhalvemetersamenleving: 2020 Words of the Year
It's the Oscars of the language world: word-of-the-year data analysis and voting! A spirited conversation with Merriam-Webster's Emily Brewster about the 2020 words of the year.Subscribe to the newsle...
24 Des 202022min
802 - Brandon Sanderson on Writing, Character and Place Names, and the Future
Brandon shares funny stories about character and place names gone wrong, his writing struggles, and what the future holds for his work.Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates. Watch my LinkedI...
17 Des 202034min
801 - How to Get Your 'Just Deserts.' Comma After 'But'? Why?
More people get the phrase "just deserts" wrong than get it right, but we're here to help! Also, why do some people put a comma after "but"? They shouldn't, but we have some theories about why they do...
10 Des 202011min
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
