The wonders of the 'a-' prefix in English. 'Personal' versus 'personnel.'
942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its trans...
22 Aug 202318min
Hilarious typos (and how to avoid them). Why do we 'take' a walk?
941. Whether you've been betrayed by autocorrect or your own fingers, almost everyone has made embarrassing typos. Even the Bible isn't immune: typos led to an old version called the "Sinners Bible"! ...
15 Aug 202316min
Have you ridden an acoustic bike lately? Write it tight.
940. Pork bacon, manual transmissions, and acoustic guitars: retronyms help us describe the original form of something that has now become a class. But sometimes, retronyms go even further. This week,...
8 Aug 202317min
Did you know that on US Army bases, soldiers get a tattoo every day? Keep writing.
939. When I say the word "tattoo," you probably think of body art, but "tattoo" has another meaning that's related to a famous Edinburgh festival that is happening this month. Plus, we look at why you...
1 Aug 202313min
People have ~feelings~ about the exclamation point (Florence Hazrat interview)
938. Love it or hate it, the exclamation point has been on the red carpet lately because we're using it more. But it also has a fascinating history: the man who invented it was trying to fix a problem...
25 Jul 202334min
15 years of podcasting with Money Girl and Nutrition Diva
In this special bonus episode, I sat down with Laura Adams and Monica Reinagel, who host Money Girl and Nutrition Diva here on the Quick and Dirty Tips network, to celebrate their 15th anniversaries a...
21 Jul 202333min
'Less' versus 'fewer.' Fun names for fingers. Scunscreen.
937. Today, we explore the traditional advice of using "fewer" for things you can count and "less" for things you can't, but you'll also learn about the idea of using "less" for singular nouns and "fe...
18 Jul 202316min
'Inspirational' or 'aspirational'? The surprising dangers of ChatGPT. Spaghetto.
936. Have you ever wondered about the nuanced differences between "aspirational" and "inspirational"? Today, we look at a newer, more cynical meaning of "aspirational." Plus, you've probably heard all...
11 Jul 202318min
