20 episodes
That's What They Say Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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- Education
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 Michigan Public Weekend Edition host Rebecca Kruth.
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TWTS: When it comes to "lie" and "lay," even English professors get confused
Even for speakers who feel solid about the distinction between "lie" and "lay," they may lose that distinction when "low" is added to the mix.
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TWTS: We're not done talking about "alright," all right?
All right, last week, we got distracted by the versatility of "all right." This week, we look at why spelling it as one word, "alright," makes some people really mad.
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TWTS: "Alright" is not just all right with everyone
All right, all right. It's time for us to start talking about whether "alright" is all right.
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TWTS: Await for it, or just await
Wait, wait, don't tell me I can't wait on things.
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TWTS: How worms of destruction begat worms of wisdom
While now we may think of being a bookworm as a positive trait, that hasn't always been the case.
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TWTS: It "ghosts" without saying ... well, anything
Social media has made a couple of longstanding English verbs work or mean differently.