That's What They Say

By 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 E... 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 401 episodes available.

That's What They Say episodes:

August 18, 2025 TWTS: Campfire up the lightning round
From campfire wood to troubleshooting, English usage provides plenty of curiosities for another lightning round.
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6min
August 11, 2025 TWTS: Double the modals, double the nuance
Only some English speakers have grammars that allow them to say “We might could make that better” or “We might should eat before the movie.”
...more
6min
August 01, 2025 TWTS: When your ancestors are the descendants of your ancestors
When you have a language podcast, you come across a lot of usages that make you think, “I would never say that.” A little research and a few contextual examples later, you might just change your mind.
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6min
July 28, 2025 TWTS: "Peak" felt fine until it was "peaked"
Mountains may be peaked, collars may be peaked, but when we’re sick, we’re not “peaked” but “peak-ed.”
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6min
July 21, 2025 TWTS: Speaking of "bespoke"
This is a bespoke segment of That’s What They Say that focuses on “bespoke.”
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6min
July 14, 2025 TWTS: Why "peeves" make great pets
Listeners write to us regularly with their language peeves, which we love. Sometimes they call these peeves their "pet peeves."
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5min
July 06, 2025 TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"
When we inquire about something, it doesn’t really matter if we "inquire" or "enquire." However, with the verb "insure," it matters if we "insure" or "ensure."
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5min
June 30, 2025 TWTS: "Disinterested" is "uninterested" but not the other way around
With the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," it’s not that a distinction has been lost, but rather that a distinction has been intentionally created.
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6min
June 23, 2025 TWTS: "Crummy" and "lousy" have a crummy relationship
If something is crummy, then we could also call it lousy, which gives us a clue about how crummy came to mean what it means.
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6min
June 13, 2025 TWTS: "Primer" is pronounced "primer," unless you prefer "primer"
When we’re talking about a small book for teaching children to read, or really any short book that introduces a topic, there are two competing pronunciations of the word for that book.
...more
6min

FAQs about That's What They Say:

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

The podcast currently has 401 episodes available.

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