Indefinite pronouns. The Grammar Girl print book is now available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/2pkej7
Yesterday
Why leprechauns are shoemakers. The March equinox versus the vernal equinox.
1168. This week, we look at the word "leprechaun" and its surprisingly wild origin story involving shoemaking, ancient Rome, and wolf-men. Then we look at the word "equinox": its Chaucer connection, the newer word "equilux," and why the first point of Aries is actually in Pisces ... Show More
13m 11s
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
Nov 2011
Episode 40: An Irregular Verb - Querer, To Want
Yo quiero, Tú quieres, Usted/él/ella quiere, Nosotros/nosotras queremos, Vosotros/vosotras queréis, Ustedes/ellos/ellas quieren, Note that some of the conjugations show a vowel change in the stem, from E to EI. This is called a stem-changing verb, and there are many like this. Ho ... Show More
1m 43s