How Do You Pronounce 'Tomato'? Why Is 'Chiropractic' Singular. Fish.
Listen now
Description
In the world of great debates, there is one that has been long enduring and still keeps language prescriptivists awake at night: Is it "tom-ay-to" or "tom-ah-to"?  Now, this may not seem as pressing as whether nuclear fusion is possible, but to people in the linguistic trenches, it is pretty darn close. After all, how many linguistic pronunciation ambiguities have been so long running and widely known that they have actually inspired a song? In the second segment of the show, we explore why "chiropractic" is such an outlier for "-ic" words.  Read the companion article on Quick and Dirty Tips. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows. Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.  Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course. Peeve Wars card game. Grammar Girl books. HOST: Mignon Fogarty VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. Theme music by Catherine Rannus at beautifulmusic.co.uk. Social Media Links:  https://twitter.com/grammargirl https://facebook.com/grammargirl https://www.tiktok.com/@therealgrammargirl https://snapchat.com/add/thatgrammargirl https://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl https://instagram.com/thegrammargirl https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl
More Episodes
980. This week, I talk with with Anne Curzan about the fascinating world of language evolution, her new book, "Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Language," and why linguists should take marketing tips from Apple and why Ben Franklin thought the word "colonize"...
Published 04/25/24
979. Explore the fascinating origins of punctuation and how it evolved to shape written language. Plus, learn techniques to untangle confusing noun clusters and bring clarity to your writing.
Published 04/23/24