Who votes for new words? you do! | Mignon Fogarty | TEDxUniversityofNevada

Mignon Fogarty is the founder the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network, the creator of the Grammar Girl website and Grammar Girl podcast. She is also the Donald W. Reynolds Chair in Media Entrepreneurship at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. In this funny and informative talk, she describes how language change is a natural, democratic process.

Mignon Fogarty is the founder the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network, the creator of of the Grammar Girl website (one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers in 2012, 2013, and 2014), and the creator and host of the Grammar Girl podcast (Best Education Podcast in the 2012 and 2013 Podcast Awards). Mignon is the author of the New York Times best-seller Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing and six other books on writing. She appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has been featured in the New York Times, Business Week, the Washington Post, USA Today, CNN.com, and more. She hates the phrase “grammar nazi” and loves the word “kerfuffle.”

Mignon Fogarty is also the Donald W. Reynolds Chair in Media Entrepreneurship at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno.

[SteveFrenchWoodNStuff]

Thank you, Grammar Girl; I frequently refer to your articles when writing my articles.

On a side note, "OK" is also used in many other languages. Much like "no".

[anghlucas]

I love it! It might take me a while to become accustomed to the word "adulting." But I agree with the final takeaway from this piece: wanting people to write well and embracing the natural evolution of language are not mutually exclusive efforts.

[theonlyjamiebourgeois]

A easy to overlook but very important subject!!! Love it!

[ffluvssg]

As a child I attended school in French, where we had at least one unit study about the "proper" use of the language, and how to avoid "anglicismes." I admit that I err on the side of fighting language changes when it comes to verbification, or what I perceive as "bad grammar." I do like to adopt catchy new phrases, or speak the slang with the kids now and then. It's hard to avoid on social media.

[kentbrashear]

I've never heard the word adulting before here, but I'm old and don't get out much. My biggest language gripe is dinner replacing supper for the evening meal. I'm a Texan. Here the younger people say dinner. Even people my age (74) have started saying dinner and dropping supper altogether. I hate it and I'll never cave in.

[timeless_realm]

Very informative and well presented. Thank you, Mignon.

[mosesm.]

Her Grammar Girl podcast is very informative, and I've been a subscriber to it for over a year. Her presentation in this video is very good. I'm not sure I will get used to or use the word "adulting" any time soon, though.

[danalynnejohnson]

I've listened to Grammar Gir's podcasts for more than a year. I've never seen her.

[-skylark]

Mignon suggests we accept language change as a natural democratic process but... Having people rebel against change is precisely that democratic process!

[Bonezr]

7:02 "One unsavory reason people sometimes vote against language change is because words come from people they don't like. Americanisms for example have often been disparaged by the British."

Is it not the other way around? Have Americans voted FOR language change because they didn't like the British?

[GrahamDowns]

Interesting. *I've* never considered "OK" an acceptible part of standard English. I've always corrected people, because it should be spelt "Okay". Won't be doing THAT anymore! ;)

[SirVox-licb]

5:54 This is... I believe...WRong !

OK comes from a military abbreviation of
0 (zero) Killed

[dmbara]

There should be more hits on this. And is it (offən or oftən)?

[DrPib]

I’m still going to contend that “finna” isn’t a word.

[ZingZapZong]

I wish you talked more about "on accident". It is so wrong. Grrr lol. 

[ryanbrown]

*You. Mignon wouldn’t like that title!

[hayleeblack]

I feel like ignorance inadvertently votes for words to stick around when they truly need tie off... example, GINORMOUS. I absolutely loathe this word. I am voting against against it.

[pintificate]

Mignon, if we freely throw away our rules of grammar you would not be able to deliver this talk. The ability to communicate is precious, especially in situations of emergency. The use of non-native English speakers in call centres is an affliction, and the massive influx of people from non-English speaking countries to my native Sydney has made simple public announcements almost worthless. I work with this phenomenon. My concern here is purely linguistic, not racial. If we keep lowering the bar we'll wind up in the abyss.
Language matters.
.

[xxblayzitxx]

I vote that you never wear that dress again.