That's What They Say

Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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  • LANGUAGE LEARNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
That's What They Say

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.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    TWTS: The American Dialect Society's 2024 Word of the Year

    It's that time again. With 2024 behind us, we can vote on the word of the year.

    5 min

  2. 6 JAN

    TWTS: When language gets spicy

    We can pepper our food or pepper our speech. If the mood strikes us, we can be peppy in a pep rally sort of way.

    5 min

  3. 29/12/2024

    TWTS: There are reasons to use "there are" before a plural, and there's reasons to use "there's"

    There's examples all over the the place of people using "there's" before a plural noun. In fact, we just gave you one.

    4 min

  4. 23/12/2024

    TWTS: The "doink" heard 'round the stadium

    As 2024 comes to a close, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs football team gave us a reason to use the verb "doink."

    5 min

  5. 16/12/2024

    TWTS: Reach out and ping someone

    We can still reach out the car window to grab a parking ticket, but today, "reaching out" can also mean "pinging" someone to make a connection.

    5 min

  6. 08/12/2024

    TWTS: A quintessential enough guide to "quintessential"

    The words "decimate" and "unique" are quintessential examples of how a word’s meaning can shift from its etymological roots.

    5 min

  7. 01/12/2024

    TWTS: The not-so-ordinary world of "ordinary" and "ornery"

    "Ornery" seems like an ordinary enough word, but its link to "ordinary" might surprise people.

    5 min

  8. 24/11/2024

    TWTS: Dilly dallying in the lightning round

    As listeners wait with bated breath, we will not dilly dally or shilly shally to get to this lightning round.

    5 min
See All (20)

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2025
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    That's What They Say

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