The fight for the modern dictionary, with Stefan Fatsis

The fight for the modern dictionary, with Stefan Fatsis

1123. This week, we talk with author and self-described “word freak” Stefan Fatsis about his book "Unabridged." He shares his experience embedding at Merriam-Webster to become a lexicographer, sharing the contrast between the company's 1940s headquarters and the modern digital business. We look at the tension between updating old words (like the surprising original meaning of "pompom girl") and the need to add new, "sexy" words to generate web traffic.

Find Stefan Fatsis on his website, Bluesky or Facebook.

Get the book, Unabridged.

🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.

🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.

🔗 Take our advertising survey.

🔗 Get the edited transcript.

🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.

🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts or Subtext. Learn more about the difference.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

  • Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
  • Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.

| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(964)

268 Mixing Verb Tenses

268 Mixing Verb Tenses

Mixing Verb Tenses Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Mar 20116min

267 How to Speak English Like the Irish

267 How to Speak English Like the Irish

How to Speak English Like the Irish Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Mar 20117min

263 How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions

263 How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions

How to Write Grammatically Correct Photo Captions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Feb 20114min

260 Contractions

260 Contractions

Contractions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

27 Jan 20116min

259 First, Second, and Third Person

259 First, Second, and Third Person

First, Second, and Third Person Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

20 Jan 20117min

258 How to Write Dialogue

258 How to Write Dialogue

How to Write Dialogue Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

13 Jan 20116min

257 Should You Ever Put a Space Before a Period?

257 Should You Ever Put a Space Before a Period?

Should You Ever Put a Space Before a Period? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

13 Jan 20115min

252 What Is Plagiarism?

252 What Is Plagiarism?

What Is Plagiarism? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Des 20107min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
hanna-de-heldige
fryktlos
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
treningspodden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
foreldreradet
jakt-og-fiskepodden
rss-sunn-okonomi
dypdykk
sinnsyn
rss-mann-i-krise-med-sagen
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
hverdagspsyken
rss-kunsten-a-leve
mikkels-paskenotter
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
gravid-uke-for-uke
doktor-fives-podcast