1. He started out a total nobody from Santa Cecilia, like me.

[Is this sentence grammatical?]

2. great grandmother
3. great-grandmother
[Can we use both expressions?]

#1 means that she's a wonderful grandmother -- or it can mean that she is a huge woman!

#2 means that she's the mother of your grandmother.

1. Yes, the sentence "He started out a total nobody from Santa Cecilia, like me" is grammatically correct. It follows the structure of a simple sentence with a subject ("He"), a verb ("started"), and an object ("a total nobody from Santa Cecilia, like me").

2. Both expressions, "great grandmother" and "great-grandmother," are commonly used and accepted. However, there is a slight difference in their usage.

"Great grandmother" is typically used to refer to your grandmother's mother, whereas "great-grandmother" can refer to either your grandmother's mother or your grandfather's mother.

To determine the appropriate usage, it's essential to consider the context and clarify who the specific person is in relation to you. For example:

- "My great-grandmother on my mother's side is from Italy." (Referring to your grandmother's mother)
- "My great grandmother on my father's side was a nurse during World War II." (Referring to your grandfather's mother)

It's always good to be clear and specific when discussing family relationships to avoid any confusion.