Search

Home > Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing > Penny idioms that are still legal tender. The linguistic history of procrastination. Tanner tour.
Podcast: Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Episode:

Penny idioms that are still legal tender. The linguistic history of procrastination. Tanner tour.
Category: Education
Duration: 00:14:49
Publish Date: 2026-01-06 10:00:00
Description:

1148. This week, we look at penny idioms that are still "legal tender" in our language even as the U.S. penny is retired. We look at the history of phrases like "a bad penny" and "penny wise and pound foolish." Then, we look at the linguistic history of procrastination, explaining how human nature changed words like "soon," "anon," and "presently" from meaning "at once" to "in a little while."

The penny segment was written by Karen Lunde, a longtime writer and editor turned web designer and marketing mentor. Solo service business owners come to her for websites where beautiful design meets authentic words that actually build connections. Find her at chanterellemarketingstudio.com.

The linguistics of procrastination 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.

Find a link to the old Tanner Tour brochure mentioned in today's familect story. 

Links to Get One Month Free of the Grammar Girl Patreon (different links for different levels)
Total Play: 0

Some more Podcasts by Mignon Fogarty, Inc.

1K+ Episodes
Grammar Girl .. 100+     30+