Grammar Girl: For Writers and Language Lovers.

ARE YOU INTERURBAN? When you split your time between the East Coast and the West Coast, you can call yourself “bicoastal.” What about when you’re splitting your time between two cities, like a listener named Jeff, who splits his time between New York City and Boston? VONNEGUT'S FAMOUS SEMICOLON QUOTATION. I couldn’t imagine that any talented writer would so universally dismiss an entire punctuation mark. Not one to take things at face value, I went searching and quickly found that the Vonnegut quotation, so often offered with a giddy air of insider superiority, is taken out of context. Here are the details. OFF THE CUFF. Imagine you were wearing an old-time dress shirt. One with stiff, starched, white cuffs. Those cuffs were sometimes several inches long! You could write a lot of notes on something that long. SPONSORS http://amazon.com/kindleforkids http://weebly.com/grammar AMAZON AFFILIATE CODE http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl Instagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COMMENCEMENT: Last week a professor in my department asked me why we call a graduation ceremony “commencement” when the event marks the end of college. “To commence” means “to begin,” not end, so it seems like an odd name for the ceremony.DELETE 'IT': Want a timeless, painless tip that quickly helps you clarify your writing? Look for it. What William Cobbett said two centuries ago still rings true: “The word it is the greatest troubler that I know of in language. It is so small, and so convenient, that few are careful enough in using it."SPONSORhttp://amazon.com/kindleforkidsAMAZON AFFILIATE CODEhttp://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Celsius Versus Centigrade: Anders Celsius was a Swedish astronomer who invented a thermometer based on the boiling point and freezing point of water. We know a slightly improved version of his thermometer by the Celsius name and by the word "centigrade." This centigrade thermometer was named in honor of Celsius in 1948 at the ninth International Conference of Weights and Measures.'Between' Versus 'Among': Many people believe "between" should be used for choices involving two items and "among" for choices that involve more than two items. That can get you to the right answer some of the time, but it's not that simple. The traditional rule you learned is actually a myth.SPONSORhttp://amazon.com/kindleforkidsAMAZON AFFILIATE CODEhttp://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Away Versus Home? A listener named Alan wrote, “When using the word versus, does it make a difference as to what is placed before and what is placed after? For example: Roe versus Wade or Red Sox versus Yankees. In other words, by rule is one the challenger, and the other the challenged?” How to Make Product Names Plural: Two Silicon Valley guys were talking on Twitter about whether they should say they have two iPad Pros or two iPads Pro. Then Schiller jumped in to say: “One need never pluralize Apple product names. Ex: Mr. Evans used two iPad Pro devices.” People on Twitter generally seemed to think this seemed ridiculous and Business Insider, Mac Rumors, and others turned it into a story. Woohoo, Twitter spat! SPONSORS http://audible.com/gg http://weebly.com/grammar AMAZON AFFILIATE CODE http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl Instagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, ESPN fired Curt Schilling because of offensive remarks he made on social media, and in his follow-up statement, Schilling referred to the brouhaha, but he misspelled the word as brew ha ha, like the name of a beerfest in my hometown. (Follow along on the website: http://j.mp/brouhaha-origin)Merriam-Webster added "athleisure" to the unabridged dictionary, but the editors had been watching the word for a while before they decided to add it. In a "Words We’re Watching” blog post in July of 2015, they wrote “'Athleisure' refers to casual clothing — like yoga pants, sweat pants, and hoodies — that are designed to be worn both for exercising and for doing (almost) everything else.” (Follow along on the website: http://j.mp/2016NewWords)Most people know that if you do something in one fell swoop, you do it all at once--as in, “I sat down last night and made my website in one fell swoop.” But what does "fell" mean? And who is swooping? (Follow along on the website: http://j.mp/one-fell-swoop)PODCAST AWARDSNominate Grammar Girl for Best Education Podcast at http://PodcastAwards.com (They'll ask for the show URL. Use this: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl)SPONSORShttp://Earnest.com/grammarhttp://weebly.com/grammarAMAZON AFFILIATE CODEhttp://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonE-BOOK: GRAMMAR GIRL'S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS FOR BETTER WRITINGOn sale for $2.99 through April:Kindle: http://amzn.to/1RRJDAeNook: http://bit.ly/1qmUsBiFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carrie from New Orleans asked me to help her understand whether she should say "I wish I were more perceptive" or "I wish I was more perceptive." It's a great question because it's something that a lot of people don't know. (Follow along on the website: http://j.mp/subjunctive-verbs)A listener named Cyndi works in the auto claims department at an insurance company and asked how to use directional words--for example, when should she use "north" and when should she use "northbound"? (Follow along on the website: http://j.mp/north-or-northbound)PODCAST AWARDSNominate Grammar Girl for Best Education Podcast at http://PodcastAwards.com (They'll ask for the show URL. Use this: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl)SPONSORhttp://MeetEarnest.com/grammargirlAMAZON AFFILIATE CODEhttp://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonE-BOOK: GRAMMAR GIRL'S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS FOR BETTER WRITINGOn sale for $2.99 through April:Kindle: http://amzn.to/1RRJDAeNook: http://bit.ly/1qmUsBiFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITETitled or Entitled? http://j.mp/titled-entitledAP Style Updates http://j.mp/APstyle2016Into Thin Air http://j.mp/into-thin-airSPONSORShttp://IglooSoftware.com/grammargirlhttp://casper.com//gg and use the code GGAMAZON AFFILIATE CODEhttp://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonE-BOOK: GRAMMAR GIRL'S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS FOR BETTER WRITINGOn sale for $2.99 through April:Kindle: http://amzn.to/1RRJDAeNook: http://bit.ly/1qmUsBiFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Pronouncing Pulitzer: http://j.mp/227C9M1 Navajo Codes: http://j.mp/1S3FXIA SPONSORS http://verbling.com (Discount Code: grammargirl) http://audible.com/gg AMAZON AFFILIATE CODE http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon E-BOOK: GRAMMAR GIRL'S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS FOR BETTER WRITING Kindle: http://amzn.to/1RRJDAe Nook: http://bit.ly/1qmUsBi FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl Instagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITE Charlie Chaplin Grammar: http://j.mp/22qGqfA S-Backing: http://j.mp/1nT2mR5 SPONSORS http://verbling.com Promo code: grammargirl http://lifelock.com Promo code: grammar AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon FOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRL Twitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirl Facebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirl Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirl Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl Instagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOLLOW ALONG ON THE WEBSITENational Grammar Day Haiku Winners: http://j.mp/1Uk71t514 Tips for Coming Up with Freelance Story Ideas You Can Sell: http://j.mp/1Uk7746"The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing" by Zachary PetitWINNERS INFOhttps://twitter.com/SnoozeInBriefhttps://twitter.com/monicasharmanhttps://twitter.com/sesquiotichttps://twitter.com/larry_kunzSPONSORShttp://verbling.com Promo code: grammargirlhttp://lifelock.com Promo code: grammarFOLLOW GRAMMAR GIRLTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Follow along on the website:'Patty' Versus 'Paddy' http://j.mp/1U4uezm'Needs Washed' http://j.mp/1QF9QS2Find Grammar Girl on social mediaTwitter: http://twitter.com/grammargirlFacebook: http://facebook.com/grammargirlSnapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirlPinterest: http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirlInstagram: http://instagram.com/thegrammargirlSponsor: Lifelock.com or 1-800-867-0974. Promo code: GrammarAmazon Affiliate Link: http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Subordinate clause” is the name you’re more likely to have learned in school, but the other name, “dependent clause,” may help you better understand what they do because adding that subordinating conjunction to the head of the clause makes it dependent on a main clause.Today, I have an explanation, plus examples with zombies!Also, featured listeners and National Grammar Day news.Sponsor: http://audible.com/ggAmazon Affiliate Link: http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonGrammar Girl Books: http://j.mp/allGGBooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Follow along on the website: Redundancy:http://j.mp/1PGcT99 Letters of Recommendation: http://j.mp/20fJRVo Sponsors: http://audible.com/gg http://feverbornbook.com Wow! It's episode 500. Thanks to everyone. Tell me your story about how you listen. Leave it as a comment on the post pinned to the top of the page at http://facebook.com/GrammarGirl. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Should You Capitalize 'the Force' from Star Wars? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Follow along with the articles on the website: http://j.mp/QDTgrammarRecommended book: The Grammar DevotionalSponsors:http://mackweldon.com (20% off with the promo code "grammar")http://thirdlove.com/grammar (30 day free trial) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Follow along on the website: http://j.mp/QDTgrammarPairForensic LinguisticsIn Cold BloodSponsor: http://thirdlove.com/grammarSponsor: http://SockFancy.com Use the code "grammar" for $10 off.Quick And Dirty Tips Amazon Affiliate Link. Start your shopping here to support the show: http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazonGrammar Girl's Books: http://j.mp/allGGbooksGrammar Pop iPad Game: http://bit.ly/14eeMDb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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This week, we look at 10 different meanings of the word "blue," including two that are the opposite of each other, and we learn what "kith" means in "kith and kin." Happy Thanksgiving. Follow along on the website: 10 Meanings of 'Blue': http://j.mp/1T2oBOm Kith and Kin: http://j.mp/1jiXWjW Sponsors http://thirdlove.com/grammar http://sockfancy.com Use the code "grammar" If you're shopping at Amazon, we appreciate it when you use our link: http://quickanddirtytips.com/amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Scrabble in Different Parts of the World Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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