Isaias. Mitch. Andrew. Jimena. How hurricanes get their names, and why you'll see some names twice and others never again. Also, have you ever heard that you shouldn't use contractions in your writing? We have the real story.

Read the transcripts: Hurricanes. Contractions.

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HOST: Mignon Fogarty

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What are those double dots over letters in English? Why does "money" have a plural, and how do you spell it?

Read the transcripts: Diaeresis. 'Monies' or 'Moneys'?

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Blursday is a popular word to use when you don't know what day of the week it is. It captures that disoriented feeling when everything is a blur. And our wonderful fiction editor Diana Pho is back with a comparison of middle grade and young adult fiction. You'll learn a lot!

Read the transcripts: Blursday. Middle Grade Versus Young Adult

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We started to wonder about the question words in the phrase "Who does what and goes where when."

Read the transcript.

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Imagine the bragging rights: The OED needs your help antedating words. Why you should capitalize "Black." How playwriting techniques can improve your writing.

Read the transcripts: OED. Black. Playwriting.

OED Antedating Link: public.oed.com/appeals/oed-antedatings

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The Saharan dust plumes can make the sky red, but they aren't the source of the old saying "Red skies at night, sailor's delight. Red skies in the morning, sailor take warning." That comes from clouds! Also, we talk about which came first: "yikes" or "yoiks."

Read the transcripts: Red Skies. Yoiks.

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Fiction editor Joshua Essoe gives his best tips for writing fight scenes (hint: it's not about the fighting). And he describes how he got his first editing gig, which has led to a solid career as a freelance fiction editor.

Get Joshua's book, Essoe's Guides to Writing: Action Sequences.

Read the transcript.

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Our writer was surprised when he came across "clew" instead of "clue" in a detective novel from 1929, and the explanation includes a great story about the origin of the word "clue." Also, people have been wondering about the difference between "systematic" and "systemic." They come from the same root, but have subtle differences in meaning. Don't get it wrong!

Read the transcripts: ‘Clue’ or ‘Clew’? ‘Systemic’ or ‘Systematic’?

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We started to wonder why people seem to forget the second half of the saying about bad apples. Plus, we settle a dispute about the difference between "a couple" and "a few."

Read the transcripts: Bad Apples. A Couple and a Few.

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Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

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Roy Peter Clark has been teaching writing at the Poynter Institute since 1977 and regularly offers up some of the best writing advice I see. Today, we talked about

Read the transcript: Roy Peter Clark interview.

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Grammar Pop iOS game.

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