If Earth Looks Like a Blue Marble, Why Is Earth Day Associated with the Color Green? Also, 'Funnest.'

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

872. The famous NASA "blue marble" image could have influenced people to make blue the color of environmentalism and Earth Day, but green won the day. In honor of the special day, we look at how the meaning of "green" has changed over time. Plus, we investigate the "fun" continuum and whether it's OK to use the words "funner" and "funnest."

| Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.

| Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.

| Peeve Wars card game.

| Grammar Girl books.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus at beautifulmusic.co.uk.

| Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe

https://www.tiktok.com/@therealgrammargirl

http://twitter.com/grammargirl

http://facebook.com/grammargirl

http://facebook.com/grammargirl

http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl

https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl

References for the "funnest" segment

1. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1994, pp. 469-70.

2. Garner, B. Garner's Modern American Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016, p. 416.

3. The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005, p. 197.

4. The Grammar Logs. #596, March 24, 2004, https://web.archive.org/web/20190427082852/http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/grammarlogs4/grammarlogs596.htm(accessed April 21, 2022).

5. Wallraff, B. Word Court. 87 (2000).

6. Garner, B. Garner's Modern American Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016, p. 416.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.