812 - Kibosh. Sidekicks. Misolation.
The origin of "kibosh" is a long-standing mystery in the English language. Yiddish? A whip? Clog-makers...
19:47
811 - Inigo Montoya and Coining Phrases. 'Dose' or 'Dosage'?
Coin a phrase? It does not mean what you think it means. And get your dose (or dosage?) right. Subscribe to the...
12:48
810 - Words out of Time. Why 'OK' Is OK.
Would words and phrases like "operative" and "pump him for information" be out of place in a...
15:08
809 - Rethink Descriptions Like 'Diabetic.' The Wonderful World of Italics,
Should you call someone a diabetic or a person with diabetes? Also, are you confused about when to use italics? We...
14:24
808 - 6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know. 'Imply' or 'Infer'?
6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know. 'Imply' or 'Infer'? Subscribe to the newsletter for...
16:34
807 - Why We Call Them Sea 'Shanties.' A Trick to Remember How to Spell 'Conscience'
If you're enjoying sea shanties these days, have you wondered why they're called "shanties"? Plus,...
13:15
806 - Why You Should Try Fanfiction. How to Find Tricky Pronunciations.
Why writing fanfiction can make you a better overall writer. Plus, my tricks for figuring out tricky pronunciations....
17:01
805 - 'Acedia': the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now
"Acedia": the lost name for the emotion we're all feeling right now. Plus, when does "thank...
11:38
804 - Another Think/Thing Coming. 'Sanction,' 'Cleave,' 'Dust,' and More
Are Americans ruining the put-down "You've got another think coming," or was it the British band Judas...
14:21
803 - Pandemic, COVID, anderhalvemetersamenleving: 2020 Words of the Year
It's the Oscars of the language world: word-of-the-year data analysis and voting! A spirited conversation with...
22:50
802 - Brandon Sanderson on Writing, Character and Place Names, and the Future
Brandon shares funny stories about character and place names gone wrong, his writing struggles, and what the future...
35:07
801 - How to Get Your 'Just Deserts.' Comma After 'But'? Why?
More people get the phrase "just deserts" wrong than get it right, but we're here to help! Also, why do...
11:54
800 - What Did You Step On? And Is That a Desert or a Dessert?
Here's why you can ignore zombie rules and why it's actually better to write "What did you step...
10:13
799 - What 'Whence' Has to Do with 'Where Are You At?' 'Regime' or 'Regimen'?
Why the decline of 'whence' and 'whither' led to 'Where are you at?' And weird memory tricks...
11:42
798 - Why 'Hilarious' Is Funnier than 'Hysterical.' How to Start a Novel.
The root of "hysterical" may surprise you (and make you want to use "hilarious" instead). Also,...
15:30
797 - Why Dickens' Character Names Are So Revealing. 'Continual' or 'Continuous'?
What Dickens can teach you about choosing your characters' names. Plus, how to remember the frustratingly...
14:28
796 - What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe?
What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe? Use the hashtag...
13:05
795 - Why People Use Scare Quotes. 'Dialog' or 'Dialogue'?
We have some theories on why people write things such as "'fresh' meat." Plus, we dig in to the two...
10:48
794 - Create Characters as Great as Hamlet. How to Format Internal Dialogue
6 steps to help you create gripping characters. Plus, we talk about how to format internal dialogue: italics,...
14:41
793 - Why Journalists Use Misspellings Like 'Lede' and 'Spox'
Journalists "bury the lede," not the "lead." But why do they spell it that way? And what do HTK,...
16:43
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