686 - The 'Dilemma' Dilemma. 'Big Bang Theory" Words and Language.

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Mignon Fogarty, Inc.

Society & Culture, Education

4.5 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 9 May 2019

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The 'Dilemma' Dilemma. 'Big Bang Theory" Words and Language. LINKS AND SPONSORS | http://stamps.com Code:GRAMMAR | http://startwiththispodcast.com | Grammar Girl's AP style webinar: http://bit.ly/GrammarWebinar2019 | GRAMMAR POP iOS GAME | Optimized for iPad: http://bit.ly/iPadGrammarPop | For iPad and iPhone: http://bit.ly/GrammarPopMobile | GRAMMAR GIRL BOOKS | http://bit.ly/GrammarPopBooks | GRAMMAR GIRL IS PART OF THE QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS PODCAST NETWORK | VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL

Transcript

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0:00.0	[♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪
0:04.6	Grammar girl here, I'm Vinyan Foggerty, and you can think of me as your friendly guide to the English language.
0:10.4	Writing, history, rules, and cool stuff.
0:13.3	Today, I have a segment about the word dilemma.
0:16.5	Another segment about the language of the TV show, The Big Bang Theory, and a family-like story.
0:22.7	Let's get started.
0:24.0	[♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪
0:26.1	Do you have trouble spelling the word dilemma?
0:29.9	I'm nearly certain I was taught the wrong spelling in school, and when I got older and checked
0:35.8	a dictionary, I was shocked to find that the word is spelled D-I-L-E-M-M-A with two M's.
0:45.3	Further, the only correct spelling is dilemma with two M's.
0:49.5	But I thought it was spelled dilemma with an N after the first M, D-I-L-E-M-N-A.
0:57.0	And it's not as if dilemma with an N is a substandard variant or a regional spelling.
1:03.4	Dictionaries often note alternative spellings and sometimes even non-standard spellings,
1:08.8	but dilemma with an N doesn't even show up that way.
1:13.3	The wrong spelling shows up in a few books in the Google Book Corpus.
1:17.7	Not a lot of books.
1:19.4	It peaked around 1980 and has fallen since, but it's in what I can only call serious publications.
1:27.0	Court reports, books that look like they came from academic presses, journal articles, and so on.
1:34.2	They're the kinds of things that are probably written by well-educated people,
1:38.9	but that also probably didn't have extensive copy editing.
1:43.6	One of the reasons I was looking through the Google Book Corpus was to try to see
	...

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