From 'dog' to 'hot dog.' The 'audience of one' trick. More on the long S. Footbridge.
06/04/24 • 20 min
2 Listeners
991. This week, we trace the origin and meaning of the word "dog," from its mysterious beginning to its current use in phrases like "hot dog" and "hair of the dog." Then we go through the "audience of one" concept, which involves tailoring content to a single, imagined recipient; and we look at how this approach can make your writing more understandable and engaging.
The dog segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.
| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/hotdog/transcript
| Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR
| Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.
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| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
- Audio Engineer: Nathan Semes
- Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
- Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
- Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
- Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.
991. This week, we trace the origin and meaning of the word "dog," from its mysterious beginning to its current use in phrases like "hot dog" and "hair of the dog." Then we go through the "audience of one" concept, which involves tailoring content to a single, imagined recipient; and we look at how this approach can make your writing more understandable and engaging.
The dog segment was written by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.
| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/hotdog/transcript
| Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR
| Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.
| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.
| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
- Audio Engineer: Nathan Semes
- Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
- Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
- Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
- Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.
Previous Episode
Why is this a question? with Paul Anthony Jones
1 Recommendations990. Have you ever wondered why English doesn't have gender like Spanish and French? Which languages are the hardest to learn (and why)? And why a Q is always followed by a U? We have the answers to those questions and more this week from Paul Anthony Jones, author of "Why is this a question?"
| Find Paul Anthony Jones at https://www.paulanthonyjones.com/
| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/jones/transcript
| Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR
| Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.
| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.
| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
- Audio Engineer: Nathan Semes
- Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
- Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
- Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
- Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.
Next Episode
The crossword craze — now and then — with Ben Zimmer
1 Recommendations992. What began as a simple word game in 1913 sparked a nationwide craze just a decade later, causing a moral panic and changing American publishing forever. This week, Ben Zimmer, a prolific crossword constructor and language commentator, takes us through the crossword puzzle's surprising early history and enduring legacy. He also explores the modern crossword scene, including competitions, digital tools, and how new puzzle constructors are shaping the future of the game.
Links mentioned in the show:
Wall Street Journal piece on the centennial of the crossword craze: https://on.wsj.com/3U3zMPk
Crossword Craze: https://crosswordcraze.today/
Daily Crossword Links: https://dailycrosswordlinks.com/
Slate crosswords: https://slate.com/crossword
| Edited transcript with links: https://grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/zimmer/transcript
| Please take our advertising survey. It helps! https://podsurvey.com/GRAMMAR
| Grammarpalooza (Get texts from Mignon!): https://joinsubtext.com/grammar or text "hello" to (917) 540-0876.
| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.
| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.
| HOST: Mignon Fogarty
| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).
| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.
- Audio Engineer: Nathan Semes
- Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
- Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
- Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
- Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.
| Grammar Girl Social Media Links: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon.
References for the Aging segment
van Boxtel, W, Lawyer, L. Sentence comprehension in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Lang Linguist Compass. 2021;e12430.
Payne, B. R., Gao, X., Noh, S. R., Anderson, C. J., & Stine-Morrow, E. A. (2012). The effects of print exposure on sentence processing and memory in older adults: Evidence for efficiency and reserve. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 19(1–2), 122–149.
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