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 413 episodes available.

That's What They Say episodes:

November 10, 2025 TWTS: Here's a tip: "Tip" isn't an acronym
From 17th-century England to modern-day gratuities, the evolution of "tip" is a story of linguistic twists and turns that ultimately lead to a surprising conclusion: it's not what you think it stands for.
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6min
November 03, 2025 TWTS: The bloody evolution of bloodletting
Historically, bloodletting and bloodshed have been different things, but the line has blurred. Linguist Anne Curzan breaks down the evolution of words.
...more
6min
October 27, 2025 TWTS: Smack dab in the middle, give or take a little
When you’re smack dab in the middle of something, you can’t be more in the middle of it.
...more
5min
October 19, 2025 TWTS: Getting through the history of "gh" is tougher than we thought
English spelling can be a museum of earlier pronunciations, as we see in words like "night," "through," and "cough."
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6min
October 12, 2025 TWTS: You can tuna fish, but you may not need the "fish"
Given that tuna is a fish, it can seem unnecessary to call that out in the compound tuna fish.
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5min
October 06, 2025 TWTS: Here's what's up with "up"
When we eat up or fix up or heal up or hurry up, we’re not actually moving in an upward direction.
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6min
September 29, 2025 TWTS: "Funnily enough" is more than enough
Funnily enough, two listeners wrote to us this summer about the phrase funnily enough.
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6min
September 22, 2025 TWTS: Just ring the dumb bell
Working out with dumbbells may be a fitness craze now, but the fitness craze that started it all sounds even better.
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6min
September 15, 2025 TWTS: Some would just as soon say "just assume"
If you’d just as soon not learn about an eggcorn that some language pundits really dislike, then you might want to stop reading now.
...more
6min
September 08, 2025 TWTS: Fit to be furious
We can be angry or infuriated or outraged or furious or livid or incensed, all of which make us fit to be tied.
...more
6min

FAQs about That's What They Say:

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

The podcast currently has 413 episodes available.

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