
Snowclones: fill-in-the-blank phrases we can’t stop remixing. Plus, is it 'RBIs' or 'RBI'?
From Grammar Girl by QuickAndDirtyTips.com
July 7, 2026 · 10 min · Episode 1200
About this episode
This episode explores snowclones and the pluralization of abbreviations like 'RBI'.
1200. This week, we look at snowclones like “X is the new Y,” including where the name came from and why we find them so satisfying. Then, we look at how to make abbreviations like “RBI” plural, including questions about apostrophes, single letters, and periods. The snowclones 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 . 🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter . 🔗 Find an edited transcript . 🔗 Get Grammar Girl books . | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network . Audio Engineer: Castria Communications Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes, Rebekah Sebastian Podcast Associate: Maram Elnagheeb | Theme music by Catherine Rannus . | Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube . TikTok . Facebook . Threads . Instagram . LinkedIn . …
People in this episode
Host: Mignon Fogarty
Topics covered
- snowclones
- language
- abbreviations
- grammar
- writing
Keywords
- snowclones
- RBI
- grammar
- language
- writing
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: QuickAndDirtyTips.com, igofirst.org, Castria Communications, LinkedIn Learning, Grammar Girl
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