Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin.

1182. This week, we solve the mystery of the colon: when do you actually need to capitalize the next word? We compare AP, Chicago, and MLA styles to give you a clear answer. Then, we look at common words with surprisingly "shadowy" histories — from the sudden appearance of the word "dog" to the apocryphal origin of "quiz." The words with no origins segment was written by Karen Lunde. Find her on igofirst.org . 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. 🔗 Share your familect recording in Speakpipe or by leaving a voicemail at 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475) 🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses . 🔗

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Decoding the colon: AP vs. MLA style. Plus, words with no known origin. is an episode from Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty, Inc..

This episode is 17:14 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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