Grammar Girl

1225. This week, we talk to lexicographer Steve Johnson from Dictionary.com. We look at how slang like "no cap" and "throw hands" works its way up from a separate slang dictionary, why one lexicographer fought against adding "rizz," and where "lost in the sauce" comes from. Then we look at what "overprompting" says about how we talk to AI, why food words like "quesabirria" and "elote" can take years to reach the dictionary, and how the team is starting to size up contenders for word of the year.
Find Steve on LinkedIn.

A hearty thank you to the Keepers of the Commas and one Immortal on Patreon. We appreciate your support!
Larry Rosenblum
Mahala Russell
George Wilson
Laurel Paul
Linda Cox
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Kate Wade

🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)
🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.
🔗 Find an edited transcript.
🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian
Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1224. This week, we look at why English speakers call ships "she," even when the ship is named Henry. Then we have a follow-up on "maxxing" from two listeners, including its roots in 1990s gaming and a cameo in the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme song.

The ships segment was written by Karen Lunde. Find her on igofirst.org.

A hearty thank-you to our Keepers of the Commas on Patreon. We appreciate your support!
Larry Rosenblum
Mahala Russell
George Wilson
Laurel Paul
Linda Cox
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Kate Wade

🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)
🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.
🔗 Find an edited transcript.
🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.
| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
Audio Engineer: Castria Communications
Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian
Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1223. This week, Valerie Fridland steps in for Mignon and sits down with linguist Allison Burkette of the Linguistic Atlas Project at the University of Kentucky. They look at what "lightwood" and "chifforobe" reveal about landscape and colonial contact, how "kindling" gave us "Kindle" and "Tinder," and the 380-plus recorded terms for cornbread. Then they look at why words rarely truly "die," even when the practices behind them fade.

A hearty thank-you to our Keepers of the Commas and one Immortal on Patreon. We appreciate your support!
Larry Rosenblum
Mahala Russell
George Wilson
Laurel Paul
Linda Cox
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Marlen Ruiz
Kate Wade
🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon.
🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)
🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.
🔗 Find an edited transcript.
🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.
| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
Creative Partnerships & Business Development: Morgan Christianson
Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian
Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1222. This week, we look at Zipf's law, a pattern that shapes how often you use your most common words, and why SETI researchers think it could help identify alien communication.
Save the date for Grammarpalooza — The Game Show: Thursday, September 24 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.

A hearty thank-you to our Keepers of the Commas and one Immortal on Patreon. We appreciate your support!
Larry Rosenblum
Mahala Russell
George Wilson
Laurel Paul
Linda Cox
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Kate Wade
Marlen Ruiz

🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)
🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.
🔗 Find an edited transcript.
🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
Audio Engineer: Castria Communications
Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian
Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1221. This week, we talk to Roger Kreuz, associate dean at the University of Memphis, about the "maxxing" craze. We look at how it started with min-maxxing in 1990s gaming culture, how looksmaxxing spread from the manosphere, and why it isn't quite a suffix. Then we look at what that second X is doing, why "Nixon-maxxing" might be peak maxxing, and why a brand picking up your slang usually kills it.

Find Daniel and Chris on LinkedIn, and more about their projects at Perfectit.com.

Save the date for Grammarpalooza — The Game Show: Thursday, September 24 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.

A hearty thank-you to our Keepers of the Commas and one Immortal on Patreon. We appreciate your support!

Larry Rosenblum
Mahala Russell
George Wilson
Laurel Paul
Linda Cox
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir
Marlen Ruiz

🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon.
🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)
🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.
🔗 Find an edited transcript.
🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
Creative Partnerships & Business Development: Morgan Christianson
Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian
Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.