In the world of great debates, there is one that has been long enduring and still keeps language prescriptivists awake at night: Is it "tom-ay-to" or "tom-ah-to"? Now, this may not seem as pressing as whether nuclear fusion is possible, but to people in the linguistic trenches, it is pretty darn close. After all, how many linguistic pronunciation ambiguitie ... Show More
Mar 12
'Mini' and 'factoid' don't mean what you think, with Jess Zafarris
1167. In this bonus segment that originally ran for Grammarpaloozians last October, we look at the surprising true origins of words that often fool people. We explore why "miniature" originally referred to a red color and not a size; the true, non-factual meaning of "factoid"; an ... Show More
13m 20s
Mar 10
Is the Academy Awards singular or plural? Writing about time.
1166. This week, we look the grammar of the Academy Awards and how to avoid an "illogical plot twist" in your sentences. Then, we look at common time-related redundancies like "period of time," the proper way to use "a.m." and "p.m.," and why the abbreviation UTC doesn't actually ... Show More
17m 45s
Mar 5
Mapping the American Tongue: The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), with Joan Houston Hall
1165. Today, we talk with Joan Houston Hall to look at the monumental task of documenting how Americans speak. We look at the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE), exploring the unique folk words that survive outside of standard dictionaries and how "word wagons" travel ... Show More
38m 35s
Jul 2022
#109 Ellen Jovin on “The Grammar Table”
Creator and proprietor of The Grammar Table, Ellen Jovin, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about traveling the country to discuss grammar, learning the languages of New York, and finding joy in learning grammar.Featured ResourcesRebel with a ClausePatreon Extended Ep ... Show More
47m 53s
Jan 2024
279. Indian Mutiny, the Cat-O’-Nine-Tails, and Mercury Poisoning: The Surprising Origins of English Idioms! (English Vocabulary Lesson)
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What do the 1857 Indian Mutiny, a brutal punishment feared by sai ... Show More
21m 38s
Mar 2022
Italian Grammar #10 - Adjectives on "-o" and on "-e", and the endings!
Ciao!In the episode we'll look at the two types of adjectives, those ending on "-o" or "-e" as their "base", and how they change. For more episodes and extra exercises on this topic, subscribe to the extended podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItalianGrammar or Redci ... Show More
7m 14s
Dec 2016
02: Pronouns. Little words, big jobs
If there are pronouns, why aren’t there connouns? What’s the point of these little words? In this episode of the podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne take a look at the many functions of pronouns. We discuss the vastly diff ... Show More
33m 41s
<p><b>E127: </b>🎙️ Welcome to <b>The English Like a Native Podcast</b>! I'm Anna, your host, and you're tuned in to <b>Week Eight, Day Three</b> of <b>Your English Five a Day</b> series. We're on a linguistic journey through five enriching vocabulary pieces every ... Show More