If there’s one thing that likely distinguished Grammar Girl‘s Minneapolis stop from the rest of her national book tour, it’s the prolonged discussion about reconciling Minnesota Nice with Fastidious ...

Do you know the differences between “assure,” “ensure” and “insure”? How about “between” and “among”? Are you confident about the proper use of a semicolon? Do you even know why semicolons exist?

When Mignon Fogarty had the idea to start podcasting about common grammar mistakes, the freelance science writer mostly wanted to try it as a hobby. But three years, two books and an Oprah appearance ...

Playwright George Bernard Shaw famously described the United States and United Kingdom as “two countries separated by a common language.” Helping us sort out our language foibles and fumbles is Mignon ...

Mignon Fogarty thought she’d arrived at the podcasting scene too late. It was 2006, and as a science and technical writer, she was trying to promote a science podcast she hosted, without much success.

I was having a quiet ale with Mignon Fogarty—a pint of Smithwick’s for me and a gin and tonic for her—when some muttering on the far side of the bar grew louder. “Impactful! Stupid word! Who made it ...

This episode originally aired on February 2, 2026. Playwright George Bernard Shaw famously described the United States and United Kingdom as “two countries separated by a common language.” Helping us ...