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" was bad.

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.

978. Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author, Charles Duhigg, as we talk about mastering the art of communication and his new book, "Supercommunicators." We explore the skills anyone (yes, you!) can learn to become a powerful communicator. (Grammar Girl Conversations)

977. This week, we cover the latest AP Stylebook updates that were just revealed at the ACES conference. From the switch to Merriam-Webster to easing up on the word "unique," we look at what these changes mean for writers and editors. Plus, we explore "catawampus" thanks to its cameo in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finale. Learn about its quirky origins, regional differences, and wordy friends like "kitty-corner."

976. This week, we dive into the "cativerse" and explore the vocabulary, grammar, and spelling habits of our furry friends. Plus, don't get tripped up by "imply" versus "infer." In the second segment, we dive into the definitions, origins, and proper usage of these often-confused words.

975. This week, I learned all about audiobook narration from David H. Lawrence XVII, who is launching a new program called "Narrate Your Own Book." If you've ever dreamed of being a narrator — or wondered what it's like — this episode is for you!

974. How does aging affect our ability to understand language? From the challenges of processing complex sentences to the resilience you get from a rich vocabulary, we look at how our language skills change over time. Plus, looking into why people say "anyways" led me to some interesting historical tidbits.

973. "Oppenheimer" leads us to wonder about the "nucular" pronunciation of "nuclear." And why do people have that second capital letter in the middle of MySpace, OutKast, and PowerPoint (and is it grammatically correct)?

972. How did humans evolve from grunting ancestors to masters of language and poetry? This week, we explore fascinating theories on the origins of human language, including the laugh-inducing Bow-Wow and Pooh-Pooh theories. We also delve into Irish-English calques for St. Patrick's Day (and in response to a question from a Grammarpaloozian) and celebrate Leslie F. Miller's winning limerick from the National Grammar Day contest.

971. Linguists have traced modern languages like English and Sanskrit back thousands of years to a single Proto-Indo-European source. This week, we explore their detective work and the debates around the origins of the ancestral tongue.