That's What They Say
That's What They Say is a weekly segment from Michigan Public that explores how language is changing. University of Michigan English professor Anne Curzan discusses why we say what we say with All Things Considered host Rebecca Hector. The show examines words and usages such as "funner," "snuck," and "LOL." It airs Fridays at 4:45 p.m. and Sundays at 9:35 a.m. on Michigan Public, and listeners can also subscribe as a podcast.
Episodes
TWTS: Why no one is "gonna Pittsburgh"
If I say I’m gonna do it, I don’t necessarily mean I’m headed out the door right now to do it.
TWTS: Dictionaries get glow-ups too
The New York Times announced that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary “is wordsmaxxing” and NBC News described it as a “glow-up” of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
TWTS: The same, just more exact
Concerns about redundancy are back this week. It's the exact same thing we’ve talked about before, but this time about the expression "exact same."
TWTS: Fore! It's a lightning round
This may be one of the only times that throw pillows, golf, and curling all get wrapped into the same discussion.
TWTS: "Proactive" gets a reaction in advance
While people may agree that being proactive is a positive trait, the word proactive can elicit some very negative reactions, so to speak.
TWTS: Cat chasing pixies? There's a word for that
Is your cat running around in circles? Be advised, that kitty might be pixilated.
TWTS: Old English, new boundaries
When we talk about Middle English, it suggests that we know when English began and when it ends.
TWTS: The cards language deals
There are lots of cards we can still play now, but we’ve lost some good ones too.
TWTS: "Hunky dory" is doing just fine
If "hunky dory" means the same thing as "right as rain," then we face the question of how right rain is.
TWTS: "Highfalutin" is too good for one spelling
While we may know highfalutin language when we hear it, we don't all agree about how to spell "highfalutin" or where it comes from.
TWTS: Be careful what you hear around the scuttlebutt
We exchange scuttlebutt at the proverbial water cooler, and there's an etymological clue in that.
TWTS: Time to talk about your watch
The little clock we wear on our wrist could be called a clock. Instead, it has long had its own term, being called a watch instead.
TWTS: Careful how you're using that 👍
Sometimes new slang jumps out in front of you, waving its hands, or thumbs, so that you can’t help but notice it. Sometimes it just sneaks up on you.
TWTS: Understanding the depth of "fathom"
We can count fathoms when we’re measuring things. We can also metaphorically fathom or not fathom things.
TWTS: Speaking of "bespoke"
This is a bespoke segment of That’s What They Say that focuses on “bespoke.”
TWTS: Up and down your alley... and your street
If it’s up your alley, it might also be up your street. And perhaps it’s down rather than up.
TWTS: One rank, two pronunciations
You say "lieutenant," I say “leftenant” but let’s not call the whole thing off.
TWTS: The wonky journey of "wonky"
There’s more than one way to be wonky, and not all of them are bad.
TWTS: Are we canceling adverbs?
Adverbs don’t always get a lot of love, captured powerfully in the writing tip “Abolish the adverbs.”
TWTS: Scrimping, skimping, and the degrees of frugality
We scrimp and we save, and we skimp and we still save, which makes one wonder whether scrimping is different from skimping
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