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:

January 15, 2023 TWTS: "Proven" and "proved" are both approved
If you prove something to be true, then it’s proven. Or is it proved?
...more
6min
January 08, 2023 TWTS: Confusing “wont” with “want” is a wont nobody wants
As language nerds are wont to do, they get curious about words like “wont” and its relationship with “want.”
...more
6min
December 18, 2022 TWTS: At the epicenter of it all
Geologically speaking, epicenters are dangerous places to be. They’ve also raised some usage questions which are probably less dangerous, though it may depend on who you ask.
...more
5min
December 04, 2022 TWTS: Feeling overwhelmed? "Whelmed" can totally relate
Given that we can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, it's completely reasonable to ask what it means to just be whelmed.
...more
6min
November 20, 2022 TWTS: Not once, not twice, but thrice
In the Commodores’ song “Three Times a Lady," it’s hard to imagine the lyrics being “once, twice, thrice a lady” rather than “once, twice, three times a lady.”
...more
6min
November 13, 2022 TWTS: Don't feel pressured to stop (or start) saying "pressurize"
When we fly, we’re in a pressurized cabin. When we’re trying to get someone to do something, some of us may pressurize them.
...more
6min
October 30, 2022 TWTS: Abracadabra, this magic trick is now a language question
When a magician performs the classic trick of sawing their assistant in half, what happens to the person inside the box? Were they "sawed" in half, or were they "sawn" in half?
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6min
October 23, 2022 TWTS: Don't let your mistakes turn into silent letters
English spellings such as “knight” and “gnat” capture earlier pronunciations of these words. The same cannot be said of the peculiar assemblage of letters in “island.”
...more
6min
October 16, 2022 TWTS: The reason this bugs people is because it’s redundant
Some of us learned that “the reason” and “because” shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. The reason this bothers some people is because it's redundant.
...more
6min
October 09, 2022 TWTS: A well-placed hyphen disambiguates when placed well
For anyone who's hoping for one exceptionless rule about when to use a hyphen, we're afraid you’re going to be disappointed.
...more
6min

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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