Education

Why 'love' means 'zero' in tennis

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty, Inc.

Jun 23, 20268:15Education

1196. This week, we look at why "love" means "zero" in tennis, from egg-shaped zeros to playing for the love of the game, and how the sport's quirky 15-30-40 scoring system came to be. 🔗 Join the Grammar Girl Patreon. �...

About This Episode

Why 'love' means 'zero' in tennis is an episode from Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty, Inc.. 1196. This week, we look at why "love" means "zero" in tennis, from egg-shaped zeros to playing for the love...

Podcast

This episode belongs to Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

Listen Online

Use the player on this page to stream the episode online.

Episode Details

Published Jun 23, 2026, 8:15 long, audio available.

Why 'love' means 'zero' in tennis

About This Episode

Related Episodes