From 'gobsmacked' to 'ginger': The British invasion of American English, with Ben Yagoda

From 'gobsmacked' to 'ginger': The British invasion of American English, with Ben Yagoda

1017. How did British words find their way into American English? Author Ben Yagoda shares insights with us from his new book "Gobsmacked!" We learn about words like "brilliant" and "ginger" that have crossed the pond, some words you might think came from Britain (but didn't), which politicians are prone to using Britishisms, and why some adopted terms might sound more pretentious than others to American ears.

Find out more about Ben and his books at BenYagoda.com.

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178 Do Rhetorical Questions Need a Question Mark?

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174 "Myself"

174 "Myself"

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172 "All Right" Versus "Alright"

172 "All Right" Versus "Alright"

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170 Swear Words in Text

170 Swear Words in Text

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169 Using “For” to Mean “Because”

169 Using “For” to Mean “Because”

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168 Troublesome Contractions (e.g., I'd've)

168 Troublesome Contractions (e.g., I'd've)

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167 Dashes Versus Colons

167 Dashes Versus Colons

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166 Strunk and White

166 Strunk and White

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