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PODCAST

That"s What They Say

Anne Curzan, Rebecca Hector

Funner, snuck, and LOL are all things that we"re hearing people say these days.That"s What They Say is a weekly segment on Michigan Public that explores our changing language. University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan studies linguistics and the history of the English language. Each week she"ll discuss why we say what we say with Michigan Public All Things Considered host Rebecca Hector.That"s What They Say airs Fridays at 4:45 p.m. and Sundays at 9:35 a.m. on Michigan Public and you can

education language learning

All Episodes

5:19

TWTS: In America, it's always hot dog season

That"s What They Say ·

2024/10/14

Major League Baseball playoffs and football tailgate season both mean the smell of hot dogs is in the air.

en

5:16

TWTS: Petards are for hoisting, not stabbing

That"s What They Say ·

2024/10/04

We don't encounter petards very often anymore. That’s unless we’re being, metaphorically speaking, “hoisted with our own petard.”

en

4:38

TWTS: Should we stop utilizing "utilize" and just use...

That"s What They Say ·

2024/09/23

There are plenty of people out there who see "utilize" as a pretentious substitute for "use." However, some people are completely comfortable utilizing the verb "utilize."

en

4:59

TWTS: Yeah, we need to talk about "yay"

That"s What They Say ·

2024/09/16

There’s the “yea” in voting “yea” or “nay," and then there’s the celebratory “Yay!" Oh yeah, there's also "yeah."

en

5:08

TWTS: Whoa, is that how you spell "whoa"?

That"s What They Say ·

2024/09/09

Whoa, whoa, whoa. There are a lot of ways to spell "whoa."

en

4:37

TWTS: Your caring about gerunds is noble, but you...

That"s What They Say ·

2024/09/01

You could say, "I don't like him singing," or you could say, "I don't like his singing." Believe it or not, some folks have very strong feelings about which of those is correct.

en

4:04

TWTS: The case of "pleaded" v. "pled"

That"s What They Say ·

2024/08/25

It's all so grammatically straight forward in the present tense if you plead innocent. Later on though, should you tell people you "pleaded" innocent or "pled" innocent?

en

5:20

TWTS: Goods in the can may not always be "canned"

That"s What They Say ·

2024/08/18

The sign at the grocery store said “can goods,” not “canned goods.”

en

5:00

TWTS: Keeping track of “track” and “tract"

That"s What They Say ·

2024/08/11

We keep track of things, we lose track of things, we run track, and listen to tracks. Sometimes though, we confuse “track” with “tract.”

en

5:06

TWTS: The “all” in “alls” is just another tough one...

That"s What They Say ·

2024/08/04

Alls our listener wanted to know is what's going on with the “alls” in “alls I know.”

en

5:14

TWTS: Are you really a Realtor?

That"s What They Say ·

2024/07/28

Technically, not everyone you buy real estate from is a realtor.

en

5:19

TWTS: The day sped by when time speeded up

That"s What They Say ·

2024/07/21

The summer sped by and the car sped off, but perhaps we speeded up the process.

en

4:42

TWTS: Bare, bald, and boldfaced lies

That"s What They Say ·

2024/07/16

A bare-faced lie may also be bald. Sometimes, it may even be bold.

en

4:06

TWTS: When "thank you" is your only option

That"s What They Say ·

2024/07/07

It doesn't seem like coming up with a response to "thank you" should be that complicated. When you think about it though, there are a lot of options.

en

5:17

TWTS: When it comes to "lie" and "lay," even English...

That"s What They Say ·

2024/06/16

Even for speakers who feel solid about the distinction between "lie" and "lay," they may lose that distinction when "low" is added to the mix.

en

5:20

TWTS: We're not done talking about "alright," all right?

That"s What They Say ·

2024/06/11

All right, last week, we got distracted by the versatility of "all right." This week, we look at why spelling it as one word, "alright," makes some people really mad.

en

4:43

TWTS: "Alright" is not just all right with everyone

That"s What They Say ·

2024/06/03

All right, all right. It's time for us to start talking about whether "alright" is all right.

en

4:43

TWTS: Await for it, or just await

That"s What They Say ·

2024/05/27

Wait, wait, don't tell me I can't wait on things.

en

4:50

TWTS: How worms of destruction begat worms of wisdom

That"s What They Say ·

2024/05/20

While now we may think of being a bookworm as a positive trait, that hasn't always been the case.

en

4:54

TWTS: It "ghosts" without saying ... well, anything

That"s What They Say ·

2024/05/13

Social media has made a couple of longstanding English verbs work or mean differently.

en

109 results

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