Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

More people get the phrase "just deserts" wrong than get it right, but we're here to help! Also, why do some people put a comma after "but"? They shouldn't, but we have some theories about why they...

Here's why you can ignore zombie rules and why it's actually better to write "What did you step on?" than "On what did you step?" (But also when you can't ignore those rules!) Then, I have two...

Why the decline of 'whence' and 'whither' led to 'Where are you at?' And weird memory tricks to help you remember the difference between 'regime,' 'regimen,' and 'regiment.' (Don't say you weren't...

The root of "hysterical" may surprise you (and make you want to use "hilarious" instead). Also, things to remember when starting a novel.
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What Dickens can teach you about choosing your characters' names. Plus, how to remember the frustratingly different meanings of "continuous" and "continual."
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What Is a 'Crony'? Why Doesn’t 'Veterans Day' Have an Apostrophe?
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We have some theories on why people write things such as "'fresh' meat." Plus, we dig in to the two spellings of "dialog" (or is that "dialogue"?).
Read the transcript: Scare Quotes. 'Dialog' or...

6 steps to help you create gripping characters. Plus, we talk about how to format internal dialogue: italics, quotation marks, or nothing?
Read the transcript: Character Creation. Formatting...

Journalists "bury the lede," not the "lead." But why do they spell it that way? And what do HTK, TK, and CQ stand for? From "hed" to "spox," here's all the journo jargon that's fit to print.
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It's not lazy and it's not just filler, but using "like" too much can still get you in trouble.
Read the transcript: Like
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What happens when I discover that my pet peeve is wrong? Also, why do we write with cliches? Should we stop, and if so, how?
Read the transcript: Although. Cliches.
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If getting laurels is good, and being a Nobel laureate is good, how did we get to "resting on your laurels" being bad? Also, we learn that the word "smarmy" started as a joke (in fact, a kind of...

Believe it or not, there are actually rules to being funny. Also, do you think "woah" is a separate word from "whoa"? Some people do, and they think it has a separate meaning.
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People have been asking about the "unavailable" meaning of "out of pocket" for decades, but there's also an "inappropriate" meaning that is spreading.
Read the transcript: Out of Pocket
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Nick and Hannah explain "red" and "blue," the origin of "POTUS," why the Declaration of Independence is the greatest break-up letter ever written, and more.
Read the transcript: The Interview
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Whether you call it "doomscrolling" or "doomsurfing," it's not your fault that you feel compelled to do it. "Doom" has an interesting history though. Also, in honor of "Bill and Ted's Excellent...

Have you been told to write "run the GANTLET"? Here's why you shouldn't. Also, editor Ben Yagoda explains why he's so tempted to use "had went" instead of "had gone."
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Kamala Harris's selection as Joe Biden's running mate is important, significant, and a number of firsts, but should we call it "historic" or "historical"? (Also, learn about the time a woman shook...

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...

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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