The 3,000 hidden colors of the dictionary, with Kory Stamper

About this episode

This episode features an interview with Kory Stamper discussing her book on the extensive world of color definitions in dictionaries.

1173. This week, we talk to former Merriam-Webster editor Kory Stamper to discuss her new book, "True Color." We look at the obsessive, "dictionary-ese" world of color definitions, looking at why the dictionary includes over 3,000 color names like "begonia" and "fiesta," and why the experts once insisted that "gray" and "grey" were actually two different colors. Find Kory Stamper at KoryStamper.com or on Bluesky . 🔗  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 . 🔗  Take  our advertising survey .  🔗  Transcript available on your podcast player. 🔗  Get  Grammar Girl books .  | HOST: Mignon Fogarty | Grammar Girl is part of  the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network . Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend 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 . |…

People in this episode

Host: Mignon Fogarty

Guest: Kory Stamper

Topics covered

• color definitions
• dictionary
• language
• Kory Stamper
• color names
• linguistics

Keywords

• color
• dictionary
• Kory Stamper
• language
• definitions
• linguistics
• True Color

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Merriam-Webster

Books & works: True Color

More episodes of Grammar Girl

• Stray Russian words and made-up style rules, with Daniel Heuman and Chris Ryder · September 10, 2026 · 25 min
• Who's a good boy? The science behind 'dog voice.' Is it 'bated breath' or 'baited breath'? · September 8, 2026 · 11 min
• How we got from no spaces between words to the interrobang, with Florence Hazrat · September 3, 2026 · 28 min
• Why do so many last names sound like jobs? · September 1, 2026 · 10 min
• Explosions, chemistry, and dictionary 'spite,' with Kory Stamper · August 27, 2026 · 21 min
• It's Greek to me: Why is the language of 'The Odyssey' shorthand for all that we don’t understand? · August 25, 2026 · 11 min