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 400 episodes available.

That's What They Say episodes:

April 03, 2022 TWTS: Better late than later ... or latemost
When we're talking about two things, we can talk about the former thing and the latter thing. However, once we have three or more things, not everyone agrees on whether there can be a "latter" thing.
...more
6min
March 27, 2022 TWTS: When "late" is the difference between life and death
Some words are deceptively simple. For example, "late" is short, easy to spell and pronounce, but it comes with a laundry list of meanings, some of which you really don't want to confuse.
...more
5min
March 19, 2022 TWTS: Havoc isn't the only thing that gets wreaked
When there’s havoc, it’s often wreaked. When we wreak something, it’s often havoc. But what do "wreak" and "havoc" mean?
...more
5min
March 06, 2022 TWTS: New verbs beget old questions about tense
"Gaslighting" isn't a new concept, but the verb "gaslight" has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years. That's left some people wondering what the past tense of the verb is.
...more
6min
February 27, 2022 TWTS: We'll be "up and at 'em," once you tell us who 'em are
When you hear someone say “up and at ‘em,” you probably know what to do, even if you don’t know who “’em” refers to.
...more
6min
February 20, 2022 TWTS: "Both" and "each" are interchangeable, except when they're not.
When you’re only talking about two things, “both” and “each” can be interchangeable and often are. However, “both” can sometimes be ambiguous.
...more
5min
February 13, 2022 TWTS: A snowblower can snowblow snow, but a linguist can help you talk about it later
There's a certain satisfaction in telling someone about snowblowing half a foot of accumulation off your driveway. That is, until you stumble over the past tense of "snowblow."
...more
6min
February 06, 2022 TWTS: Despite the odds, "despite" and "in spite of" manage to co-exist
When it comes to English, sometimes we just can’t let go. For instance, we no longer use the word “despite” to refer to an emotion. In spite of that, we’ve held on to it.
...more
5min
January 30, 2022 TWTS: In which we double-click on "double-click"
There was a time when double-clicking simply meant to press one of the buttons on your mouse in quick succession to open a folder on your computer or start a program. Not anymore.
...more
6min
January 24, 2022 TWTS: Life can be tough, but sometimes it’s peaches and … gravy?
Peaches and gravy seem like a bad combination as foods. As words though, they combine to describe an excellent state of affairs.
...more
5min

FAQs about That's What They Say:

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

The podcast currently has 400 episodes available.

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