That's What They Say

By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth

That's What They Say is a weekly segment on Michigan Public that explores our changing language. Each week University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan will discuss why we say what we say with... more

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FAQs about That's What They Say:

How many episodes does That's What They Say have?

The podcast currently has 371 episodes available.

That's What They Say episodes:

January 18, 2025 TWTS: Where did that pit in your stomach come from?
It appears that some of those bad or uneasy feelings we may feel in the pit of our stomach have become a pit in our stomach.
...more
6min
January 13, 2025 TWTS: The American Dialect Society's 2024 Word of the Year
It's that time again. With 2024 behind us, we can vote on the word of the year.
...more
6min
January 06, 2025 TWTS: When language gets spicy
We can pepper our food or pepper our speech. If the mood strikes us, we can be peppy in a pep rally sort of way.
...more
6min
December 29, 2024 TWTS: There are reasons to use "there are" before a plural, and there's reasons to use "there's"
There's examples all over the the place of people using "there's" before a plural noun. In fact, we just gave you one.
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5min
December 23, 2024 TWTS: The "doink" heard 'round the stadium
As 2024 comes to a close, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs football team gave us a reason to use the verb "doink."
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5min
December 16, 2024 TWTS: Reach out and ping someone
We can still reach out the car window to grab a parking ticket, but today, "reaching out" can also mean "pinging" someone to make a connection.
...more
6min
December 08, 2024 TWTS: A quintessential enough guide to "quintessential"
The words "decimate" and "unique" are quintessential examples of how a word’s meaning can shift from its etymological roots.
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6min
December 01, 2024 TWTS: The not-so-ordinary world of "ordinary" and "ornery"
"Ornery" seems like an ordinary enough word, but its link to "ordinary" might surprise people.
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6min
November 24, 2024 TWTS: Dilly dallying in the lightning round
As listeners wait with bated breath, we will not dilly dally or shilly shally to get to this lightning round.
...more
5min
November 17, 2024 TWTS: Language pet peeves don't always stand the test of time
Looking at late 19th century language peeves can often point to a change in progress, but not always.
...more
6min

FAQs about That's What They Say:

How many episodes does That's What They Say have?

The podcast currently has 371 episodes available.

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