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Reposted by Mignon Fogarty

Emily C. Hughes @emilyhughes.bsky.social · 2d

periodic reminder that if you write stuff that's published on the web for a publication you yourself do not own, PDF that shit as soon as it goes live

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Reposted by Mignon Fogarty

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 3d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 2d

We talked about all kinds of insider info — from how M-W missed buying the dictionary[.]com domain to what it smells like in the building.

Watch: youtu.be/gBLn1ZOMpr0

Read: grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/ste...

Listen: pod.link/173429229

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 2d

If you love dictionaries, you'll love my chat this week with @stefanfatsis.bsky.social about his new book "Unabridged."

He spent years at Merriam-Webster learning how everything works, even writing definitions that made it into the dictionary (and some surprising ones that didn't). 1/2

A promotional image for the Grammar Girl podcast featuring Mignon Fogarty and Stefan Fatsis. Mignon Fogarty, a white woman with long brown hair, is smiling on the left. Stefan Fatsis, a white man with gray hair and glasses, is resting his chin on his hand on the right. Between them is a graphic of the cover of his book, "Unabridged: The Story of the Dictionary and How It Came to Be." The background is bright orange, and the title in large text reads: "INTERVIEW The fight for the modern dictionary." The Grammar Girl and QDT logos are also visible.

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 4d

I read every email! :)

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 5d

I love Old English compounds. From today's @oewordhord.bsky.social:

sand-land, n.n: the sea-shore.
(SAWND-LAWND / ˈsand-ˌland)

A woman sitting on large gray rocks at a sandy beach on a sunny day. She is smiling at the camera, wearing a light gray and navy windbreaker, and holding a small piece of driftwood. Behind her, gentle waves roll onto the shore under a clear blue sky, with distant cliffs and coastline visible in the background. It was her birthday, and there was no place she'd rather be.

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 5d

I love Old English compounds. From today's @oewordhord.bsky.social:

sand-land, n.n: the sea-shore.
(SAWND-LAWND / ˈsand-ˌland)

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 6d

@jesszafarris.bsky.social explains how the name Pakistan was created by Muslim students at Cambridge in the 1930s who combined the names of the regions that ended up forming the country.

Listen to the whole interview → pod.link/173429229
Get the book, "Useless Etymology" → uselessetymology.com

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 7d

ICYMI, the official database of books included in the Anthropic class-action copyright settlement is now live: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

You can now file claims.

Submit a Claim

secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 7d

Are you surprised to learn that "outrage" doesn't come from "out" + "rage"? @jesszafarris.bsky.social explains what the heck is going on!

If you find this as fascinating as I do, listen to the whole interview and get her new book, "Useless Etymology."

pod.link/173429229
uselessetymology.com

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

Yes!

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

Interesting. I hadn't heard that name for the game. It looks like "draughts," the game, comes from the Old English word for "drag" because the pieces are dragged across the board.

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

I had a bull mastiff who started doing that as a puppy. I still remember the day I could no longer carry her. :)

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

And our Grammarpalooza supports get a bonus episode with even more: the surprising origins of "mini," "factoid," "hello," and "gasoline."

Learn more here: quickanddirtytips.com/bonus

Become a Grammarpaloozian - Quick and Dirty Tips

Features Apple Podcasts Subtext Ad-Free Podcast in the Apple App via text message Bonus podcast episodes yes yes Fun facts by text no yes Cost $4.99/month $4.99/month Sign up Apple Podcasts Subtext Ca...

quickanddirtytips.com

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

— Every meaning of the word “check” (e.g., writing a check, checking a box) comes from the game chess.

This episode is packed with word nerd gold. Listen now to look like a trivia genius this weekend. :)

Listen: pod.link/173429229

pod.link

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

— “SOS” doesn’t stand for anything. It was chosen because the dot and dash sounds are hard to misinterpret in Morse code.

— "Fedora" was named after a French stage character.

— "Outrage" isn’t “out" + "rage.”

— The noun "editor" came before the verb "edit."

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

— “Debunk” comes from Buncombe County in North Carolina, where a politician gave a famously nonsensical speech.

— “Sophomore” doesn’t mean “wise fool.” It goes back to the sophists of ancient Greece.

Watch: youtu.be/ujESgR4APRk

Read: grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/jes...

Why ‘Useless Etymology’ gives you super powers, with Jess Zafarris - Grammar Girl ep. 1121

YouTube video by Grammar Girl

youtu.be

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

Dazzle your friends this weekend with fabulous tidbits from @jesszafarris.bsky.social!

This week, we ran through some of our favorite stories from her new book, "Useless Etymology."

🎧 APPLE PODCASTS: bit.ly/48Ipf3S
🎧 SPOTIFY: bit.ly/3W8pWw5

Fun facts in the thread →

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

Grammarpalooza supports get a bonus episode with even more: the surprising origins of "mini," "factoid," "hello," and "gasoline."

Learn more here: quickanddirtytips.com/bonus

Become a Grammarpaloozian - Quick and Dirty Tips

Features Apple Podcasts Subtext Ad-Free Podcast in the Apple App via text message Bonus podcast episodes yes yes Fun facts by text no yes Cost $4.99/month $4.99/month Sign up Apple Podcasts Subtext Ca...

quickanddirtytips.com

Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

— "Outrage" isn’t “out" + "rage.”

— The noun "editor" came before the verb "edit."

— Every meaning of the word “check” (e.g., writing a check, checking a box) comes from the game chess.

Listen: pod.link/173429229

pod.link

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

— “SOS” doesn’t stand for anything. It was chosen because the dot and dash sounds are so hard to misinterpret in Morse code.

— "Fedora" was named after a French stage character.

TRANSCRIPT: grammar-girl.simplecast.com/episodes/jes...

Why ‘Useless Etymology’ gives you super powers, with Jess Zafarris | Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

1121. This week, we talk with Jess Zafarris about her book “Useless Etymology.” We look at three ways she says etymology gives you superpowers. We also look at the origins of simple words and learn wh...

grammar-girl.simplecast.com

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 8d

— “Debunk” comes from "bunkum" — a politician’s famously nonsensical speech to his North Carolina county.

— “Sophomore” doesn’t mean “wise fool.” It goes back to "Sophists" and rhetoric training.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW: youtu.be/ujESgR4APRk

Why ‘Useless Etymology’ gives you super powers, with Jess Zafarris - Grammar Girl ep. 1121

YouTube video by Grammar Girl

youtu.be

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Reposted by Mignon Fogarty

Ben Zimmer @benzimmer.bsky.social · 10d

Big day for lexicographical unboxing! Received the just-published 12th edition of @merriam-webster.com's Collegiate Dictionary (a big surprise to everyone in the dictionary game) and @stefanfatsis.bsky.social's long-awaited journey through modern lexicography, UNABRIDGED. Get 'em both!

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 14d

That is my understanding of the reason too.

An Authors Alliance page talks about it a bit: www.authorsalliance.org/2025/09/07/t...

Jane Friedman says a 50/50 split is common in publishing contracts for sharing the proceeds in copyright infringement cases: janefriedman.com/anthropic-se...

The Anthropic Settlement – what it is and isn’t (and who could get paid)

On Friday, both sides in the Bartz v. Anthropic lawsuit filed motions for the court to consider regarding preliminary approval of a settlement in the class action copyright infringement lawsuit fil…

www.authorsalliance.org

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Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 14d

This is the most complete information I've seen about the Anthropic copyright settlement — dates of when things are likely to happen, what to do now, and what it all means for different types of writers. nwu.org/anthropic/

Settlement of AI lawsuit gets tentative approval; some writers will get paid, but mostly only if they make claims | NWU

On September 25, 2025, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California gave preliminary (tentative) approval to a proposed $1.5 billion settlement of some of the...

nwu.org

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