AI and the future of dictionaries, with Erin McKean
1074. Is AI good enough to replace lexicographers? Wordnik founder Erin McKean shares what works, what doesn’t, and why the future of dictionaries is far from settled.Find Erin McKean at wordnik.com, ...
17 Apr 202526min
Better paragraph breaks. The story behind 'mad money' and 'pin money.' Bruce bad.
1073. Today, we have practical tips for writing better paragraphs (and it's not the formulaic topic-sentence structure). Then, we look at the surprising history of phrases like “mad money” and “pin mo...
15 Apr 202515min
The future of editing jobs in the age of AI, with Samantha Enslen
1072. Is AI coming for our jobs—or just the boring parts? This week, Samantha Enslen of Dragonfly Editorial talks about how she sees AI changing the work of writers and editors. We talked about real c...
10 Apr 202517min
How to write photo captions. The real difference between ‘immigrate’ and ‘emigrate.’ Ko Pha-ngan'd
1071. Is it "Taylor and I" or "Taylor and me"? We explain why photo captions follow their own grammar rules. Then, we explore the subtle difference between "immigrate" and "emigrate," how the terms ar...
8 Apr 202516min
The hidden techniques behind well-paced fiction, with Joshua Essoe
1070. Fiction editor Joshua Essoe explains the hidden techniques behind pacing in storytelling. Learn how good pacing shapes reader engagement, why well-placed story beats and emotional shifts matter,...
3 Apr 202525min
Why don't we say the L in 'walk'? Never use 'always.' PABST
1069. Have you ever wondered why we have silent L's in words like "walk" and "half"? Those questions lead us to L-vocalization, spelling pronunciation, and why American and British speakers differ. Pl...
1 Apr 202515min
Exploring slang, AI ghost words, and language change, with Heddwen Newton
1068. Did Yosemite Sam ever actually say "tarnation"? What’s "fridgescaping," and why is it trending? And why is AI filling the internet with nonsense words like “lrtsjerk”? Linguist and translator He...
27 Mar 202531min
What’s wrong with "'til"? Why tiny words control conversations. How many cookies?
1067. Think "'til" is a valid alternative to "until"? Think again! We learn about the difference between "till" and "until" and why many style guides frown on "'til." Then, we uncover the hidden power...
25 Mar 202517min
