That's What They Say

By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth

What's That's What They Say about?

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 Michigan Public Weekend Edition host Rebecca Kruth.

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That's What They Say episodes:

04.21.2024
TWTS: Learning new slang is good "for the plot"
As we live our lives, there's some new slang words that can help us narrate it as we go. That is, if we're in a demographic that allows us to use slang credibly.
04.14.2024
TWTS: Whether "or not" belongs in "whether or not" or not
We don’t all agree on whether or not we should correct the phrasing "whether or not."
04.07.2024
TWTS: Going forth and back on "back and forth"
We can talk about sending emails back and forth. But why does it sound odd to talk about sending them forth and back?
04.01.2024
TWTS: You can tuna fish, but you may not need the "fish"
Given that “tuna” is a fish, some may find it unnecessary to call out that fact out in the compound “tuna fish.” For others, “fish” may be an important distinction.
03.24.2024
TWTS: Prone to be prone
You can be prone to do something, whether you're lying down or not.
03.18.2024
TWTS: Attend as many "trainings" as you like
There’s evidence of a new peeve arising. This one is focused on “training” as a countable noun.
03.10.2024
TWTS: An oft overlooked double possessive
Lots of people don't like the redundancy in "irregardless." However, no one's fussy about the redundancy in a phrase like "a friend of mine."
03.03.2024
TWTS: An ouster for the ouster
An ouster can be an act of ousting, or it can be the one who does the ousting. But we seem to have opted for one of those meanings over the other.
02.25.2024
TWTS: Need something? Manifest it
At this point, we can manifest our dream future, a good grade on a exam, or even a parking spot.
02.18.2024
TWTS: "Curry favor" comes from a horse (of course, of course)
Currying favor has everything to do with flattery and horses, and nothing to do with food.
02.11.2024
TWTS: Known liars better hope their pants never literally catch fire
There’s a children’s rhyme that involves liars and pants on fire and various types of wires. Now, we can say things are “pants on fire” false.
02.04.2024
TWTS: If or whether you should use "if" or "whether"
If you worry about if or whether you should use "if" or "whether" in exactly this construction, you're not alone.
01.28.2024
TWTS: Intensifiers are so intense
It's been really dreary and so icy outside lately. It's awfully tempting to wear super cozy clothes and use lots of intensifiers.
01.21.2024
TWTS: Badgered badgers badger
Badgers live underground and are nocturnal, so we don't see them running around all that often. Somehow though, they're associated with a negative, annoying verb.
01.14.2024
TWTS: The American Dialect Society's 2023 Word of the Year
The year 2023 is officially in the record books. As part of taking stock, the members of the American Dialect Society met to consider what we've all been up to linguistically.
01.07.2024
TWTS: A rule about which we should be asking questions
Many of us were taught the rule that we shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition, and honestly this is a rule we should be asking questions about.
12.24.2023
TWTS: Tupperware containers are plastic, but are plastic containers Tupperware?
It's undeniable that "Tupperware" has become a generic catch-all for plastic containers, regardless of shape, size, or brand. Not everyone likes this.
12.17.2023
TWTS: How many things can you batten?
When you stop to think about a verb like "batten," you may be struck by just how few objects it can take.
12.10.2023
TWTS: Chances and 'stances are both happening
Sometimes something you think is a slip or a mistake, perhaps a product of happenstance, is not that.
12.03.2023
TWTS: Thin as a something
Rails are thin, and so are rakes and pencils and many other things.
11.25.2023
TWTS: When you witness a murder ... of crows
While talking about sheep as a flock may sound unremarkable, a murder of crows sounds much more playful.
11.19.2023
TWTS: Gross misuse of "gross" could have gross consequences
Gross food is disgusting, but a gross error may not be. And our gross income is something else entirely.
11.12.2023
TWTS: Down in a pothole
Very few of us are enamored with, of, or by potholes. If you’re among the aforementioned few, we’d like a word.
11.05.2023
TWTS: Are all pronunciations created equal?
There’s all the variation in pronunciation that we don’t judge, and then there’s the relatively small percentage of variation out there that we do judge.
10.29.2023
TWTS: Whether it's luggage or baggage, it all gets lugged
We physically lug around luggage and baggage at the airport. Metaphorically though, we’re carrying around baggage.
10.22.2023
TWTS: The wide world of "wordies"
Wordies are the skilled birdwatchers of language.
10.15.2023
TWTS: A "near miss" always misses
A near miss doesn’t hit anything, as opposed to a near miss hitting something but almost or nearly missing it.
10.08.2023
TWTS: Sometimes "meantime" just wants to be alone
"In the meantime" is a good phrase to use when you're talking about the time between two events. But can you leave out "in the" and just say "meantime?"
10.01.2023
TWTS: The cow goes ... boo?
When an English-speaking U.S. or British audience is unhappy, they will often express their unhappiness by yelling “boo” as opposed to, for instance, “moo.”
09.24.2023
TWTS: It's both football season and football season
Depending where you live, the thought of football season might conjure images of shin guards and knee socks or helmets and shoulder pads.
09.10.2023
TWTS: In tennis, "love" won't let you win, but "let" might
If you’ve been watching the U.S. Open tennis tournament during the last couple of weeks, you’ve probably been hearing a lot of “love” and “let.” But where did those terms come from?
09.04.2023
TWTS: It's not unusual to be nonplussed over the meaning of "nonplussed"
"Nonplussed" is one of those words that historically doesn't have a particularly complicated meaning, but it's one that people frequently misuse.
08.27.2023
TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"
When we inquire about something, one could argue that it doesn't really matter if we inquire with an "i" or enquire with an "e."
08.20.2023
TWTS: Much ado about "ado"
The phrase “without further ado” has itself been unable to escape ado. In other words, there’s been some to-do about it.
08.14.2023
TWTS: Your verbiage might be your best quality, unless its your worst
If you mention my verbiage, it’s no longer clear if I should be insulted.
08.06.2023
TWTS: An extra maître d' serves up a spelling question
If you have more than one head waiter at a restaurant, you run into a funny spelling question in English.
07.30.2023
TWTS: How clean is a whistle, really?
Coaches, referees and gym teachers are probably better authorities than we are, but we've got a feeling that whistles probably aren't very clean.
07.23.2023
TWTS: Don't blow off "off"
“Off” isn’t just an insect repellant. It’s a versatile word that might not look like much, but it’s amazing how many different ways we use it.
07.16.2023
TWTS: Comparatives need gooder usage rules
There’s a reason it sounds odd if we say it just got beautifuller and beautifuller.
07.09.2023
TWTS: Broadcasting doubt about "broadcasted"
Today we broadcast the news. Tomorrow we will broadcast the news. And yesterday? We broadcast the news.
07.02.2023
TWTS: Both may come from a hare, but it's still "hide nor hair"
There's the hair on on our heads and the hares we see hopping around our yards. There's been some confusion over which of these is the "hare" in "harebrained."
06.25.2023
TWTS: Dictionaries are defined by their editors
Often we will refer to looking something up in "the dictionary." That suggests that it doesn’t really matter which dictionary we use, and that's just not true.
06.11.2023
TWTS: We hereby sanction you to use "sanction" as you see fit
If we sanction things with no other context, it’s not clear whether these things will be allowed or whether they will be penalized.
06.04.2023
TWTS: What's the "hap" in "haphazard"?
Some speakers have come to understand "haphazard" as "half-hazard," because who knows what a "hap" is.
05.28.2023
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?
05.21.2023
TWTS: Lend your ears before you loan your money
We can lend things and we can loan things, but when it comes to ears, it's about lending.
05.14.2023
TWTS: An origin story that's just "OK"
There are a lot of rumors out there about the origins of the word "okay." We decided it was time to set things straight.
05.07.2023
TWTS: When deadlines were deadly
Anyone who’s used to working under a deadline knows it can be stressful. At least today’s deadlines don’t usually involve actual death – that wasn’t always the case.
04.30.2023
TWTS: If you drive a lorry, take the road less “travelled," not "traveled"
If you’re on the road less traveled, how many Ls are in the word traveled will depend on whether you’re in the U.S. or, say, the U.K.
04.23.2023
TWTS: "Ahold" really has a hold on some of us
If you have “ahold” of something, some people wonder if “ahold” is one word or two words. Other people ask if it’s a word at all.

What's That's What They Say about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

That's What They Say episodes:

TWTS: Learning new slang is good "for the plot"

TWTS: Whether "or not" belongs in "whether or not" or not

TWTS: Going forth and back on "back and forth"

TWTS: You can tuna fish, but you may not need the "fish"

TWTS: Prone to be prone

TWTS: Attend as many "trainings" as you like

TWTS: An oft overlooked double possessive

TWTS: An ouster for the ouster

TWTS: Need something? Manifest it

TWTS: "Curry favor" comes from a horse (of course, of course)

TWTS: Known liars better hope their pants never literally catch fire

TWTS: If or whether you should use "if" or "whether"

TWTS: Intensifiers are so intense

TWTS: Badgered badgers badger

TWTS: The American Dialect Society's 2023 Word of the Year

TWTS: A rule about which we should be asking questions

TWTS: Tupperware containers are plastic, but are plastic containers Tupperware?

TWTS: How many things can you batten?

TWTS: Chances and 'stances are both happening

TWTS: Thin as a something

TWTS: When you witness a murder ... of crows

TWTS: Gross misuse of "gross" could have gross consequences

TWTS: Down in a pothole

TWTS: Are all pronunciations created equal?

TWTS: Whether it's luggage or baggage, it all gets lugged

TWTS: The wide world of "wordies"

TWTS: A "near miss" always misses

TWTS: Sometimes "meantime" just wants to be alone

TWTS: The cow goes ... boo?

TWTS: It's both football season and football season

TWTS: In tennis, "love" won't let you win, but "let" might

TWTS: It's not unusual to be nonplussed over the meaning of "nonplussed"

TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"

TWTS: Much ado about "ado"

TWTS: Your verbiage might be your best quality, unless its your worst

TWTS: An extra maître d' serves up a spelling question

TWTS: How clean is a whistle, really?

TWTS: Don't blow off "off"

TWTS: Comparatives need gooder usage rules

TWTS: Broadcasting doubt about "broadcasted"

TWTS: Both may come from a hare, but it's still "hide nor hair"

TWTS: Dictionaries are defined by their editors

TWTS: We hereby sanction you to use "sanction" as you see fit

TWTS: What's the "hap" in "haphazard"?

TWTS: Think hard before pointing out language quirks

TWTS: Lend your ears before you loan your money

TWTS: An origin story that's just "OK"

TWTS: When deadlines were deadly

TWTS: If you drive a lorry, take the road less “travelled," not "traveled"

TWTS: "Ahold" really has a hold on some of us