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:

February 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.
...more
5min
February 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.
...more
5min
February 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.
...more
5min
February 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.
...more
5min
January 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.
...more
6min
January 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.
...more
6min
January 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.
...more
6min
January 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.
...more
6min
December 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.
...more
5min
December 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.
...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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