Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Scarecrows and other 'cutthroat' compounds. Reading versus listening. Squirrel Hill Tunnel.


Listen Later

1154. This week, we look at "headless" nouns like "scarecrow," "pickpocket," and "breakfast." We look at why these "cutthroat compounds" break the normal rules of English grammar. Then, we look at the science of reading versus listening, including how our brains process text differently from audio and why multitasking can affect your comprehension.

đź”— Join the Grammar Girl Patreon.

đź”— 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.

🔗 Take our advertising survey. 

🔗 Get the 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.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better WritingBy QuickAndDirtyTips.com

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

2,822 ratings


More shows like Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,010 Listeners

TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

21,965 Listeners

Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff You Should Know

78,795 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,923 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,715 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,549 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,264 Listeners

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day by Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

1,258 Listeners

Science Quickly by Scientific American

Science Quickly

1,392 Listeners

BrainStuff by iHeartPodcasts

BrainStuff

1,647 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,438 Listeners

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett. Produced by Stefanie Levine.

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

2,301 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,491 Listeners

Life Kit by NPR

Life Kit

4,853 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,580 Listeners