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 386 episodes available.

That's What They Say episodes:

May 02, 2025 TWTS: Both may come from a hare, but it's still "hide nor hair"
There’s the hair on our heads and the hares in our yards, and there has been some confusion about which one is part of the expression "harebrained."
...more
6min
April 28, 2025 TWTS: Presumptions and assumptions about "presume" and "assume"
We can presume things, which may or may not be presumptuous. We can also assume things, which then raises the question of whether things can be "assumptuous."
...more
6min
April 19, 2025 TWTS: Taking a whack at "whack"
For those of us of a certain age, if we whack a tennis ball or a softball too hard or at the wrong angle, we could throw our back out of whack.
...more
5min
April 12, 2025 TWTS: How "heist" was lifted for a life of crime
We sometimes talk about stealing or robbery in terms of "lifting" things, and this is relevant to "heists" as well.
...more
5min
April 07, 2025 TWTS: That's what they used to say (we think)
We will never know some of the informal language that was bandied about among speakers in the time of Beowulf.
...more
6min
March 28, 2025 TWTS: Think hard before pointing out language quirks
There are so many interesting bits of language in the world, we can’t help but notice. The question is, when you notice someone saying something interesting, should you point it out?
...more
6min
March 24, 2025 TWTS: When word nerds fight crimes
In a criminal case, you just might need a linguist.
...more
6min
March 17, 2025 TWTS: Why your high school forensics club didn't solve crimes
There's competitive forensics, but there's also forensic medicine, forensic accounting, and forensic linguistics too.
...more
5min
March 09, 2025 TWTS: The expressionless expression of "deadpan"
The word "deadpan" is on the rise, as multiple parts of speech. That "pan" is related to the historical expression “shut your pan."
...more
6min
February 28, 2025 TWTS: Whenever you say "whenever"
Not all of us use the word 'whenever' in exactly the same way, and people are noticing.
...more
6min

FAQs about That's What They Say:

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

The podcast currently has 386 episodes available.

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