616 - The Prodigal Tongue. Odoriferous. Battle Royale.
This week, I have a delightful excerpt from Lynne Murphy's new book "The Prodigal Tongue" about the differences between British and American English, a tip about words for smells, and a tidbit about t...
12 Apr 201818min
615 - Humor with Adverbs. Noisome. Receipts. Case Quarters.
This week, we talk about how adverbs can be squishy in what they modify and how that can lead to funny double meanings, about the difference between "noisy" and "noisome," about why people say they "h...
5 Apr 201815min
614 - Illeism. Named For or After? Misinformation and Disinformation.
When famous characters or people like Hercule Poirot and LeBron James refer to themselves by their own name, it's called illeism, and it can actually be a useful psychological technique. Then, we expl...
29 Mars 201814min
613 - Dictionary.com Starts Defining Emoji (an interview with Jane Solomon)
Dictionary.com has added emoji definitions to its site, and I have an interview with the lexicographer behind the decision, Jane Solomon. Emoji are a lot more linguistically complex than you may imagi...
22 Mars 201826min
612 - The Pin/Pen Merger. American. 'Half-Staff' or 'Half-Mast'?
This week, we talk about why some people say "pin" and "pen" the same way, why citizens of the United States call themselves "Americans" when other people live on the American continent too, and why f...
16 Mars 201817min
611 - Pudding. "There Are" Sentences. Winning Limerick
This week, we talk about why we say "the proof is in the pudding," why "there are" sentences can be so confusing (what the heck is the subject in such as sentence?), and read the winning limerick from...
8 Mars 201811min
610 - Top 10 Grammar Myths. How 13 Dog Breeds Got Their Names.
Celebrate National Grammar Day (March 4) by forsaking these common language myths. Also, enter our limerick contest and we might read your limerick in the next Grammar Girl podcast. (Details: http://b...
2 Mars 201812min
609 - Pull Idioms. Surprising Food Names. Dillydally.
You're sure to be surprised by the origin of at least one of these idioms that use the word "pull." Plus, we talk about foods that get their names from the dish in which they're cooked and the differe...
22 Feb 201812min
