That's What They Say

By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Hector

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 399 episodes available.

That's What They Say episodes:

July 16, 2023 TWTS: Comparatives need gooder usage rules
There’s a reason it sounds odd if we say it just got beautifuller and beautifuller.
...more
6min
July 09, 2023 TWTS: Broadcasting doubt about "broadcasted"
Today we broadcast the news. Tomorrow we will broadcast the news. And yesterday? We broadcast the news.
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5min
July 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."
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5min
June 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.
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6min
June 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.
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6min
June 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.
...more
5min
May 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?
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6min
May 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.
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5min
May 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.
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5min
May 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.
...more
5min

FAQs about That's What They Say:

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

The podcast currently has 399 episodes available.

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