Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

What’s wrong with "'til"? Why tiny words control conversations. How many cookies?


Listen Later

1067. Think "'til" is a valid alternative to "until"? Think again! We learn about the difference between "till" and "until" and why many style guides frown on "'til." Then, we uncover the hidden power of interjections—words like "um," "huh," and "mm-hmm"—and how they help us negotiate meaning, keep conversations flowing, and even challenge artificial intelligence.

The "interjections" segment was written by Bob Holmes, a science writer living in Edmonton, Canada and who until recently, had no idea how often he uses interjections. 

The piece originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, a digital publication dedicated to making scientific knowledge accessible to all. And they've produced a special standalone episode of their podcast about interjections, so if you want to learn more, check that out too. 

You can find their podcast and explore new articles at knowablemagazine.org.

🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.

🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.

🔗 Take our advertising survey

🔗 Get the edited transcript.

🔗 Get Grammar Girl books

🔗 Join GrammarpaloozaGet ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts or SubtextLearn more about the difference

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).

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

  • Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
  • Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
  • Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
  • Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.

| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTubeTikTokFacebook.ThreadsInstagramLinkedInMastodonBluesky.


 

...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

2,811 ratings


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

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,243 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

2,268 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,557 Listeners

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

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

1,238 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

37,860 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,093 Listeners

Slate Debates by Slate Podcasts

Slate Debates

2,855 Listeners

TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

21,945 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,685 Listeners

Something You Should Know by Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media

Something You Should Know

4,179 Listeners

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio by Milk Street Radio

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

2,946 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,234 Listeners

People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

People I (Mostly) Admire

2,117 Listeners

Word Matters by Merriam-Webster, New England Public Media

Word Matters

485 Listeners

The Economics of Everyday Things by Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

The Economics of Everyday Things

1,609 Listeners