20 episodes
That's What They Say Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
-
- Education
-
-
4.9 • 119 Ratings
-
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.
-
TWTS: The day sped by when time speeded up
The summer sped by and the car sped off, but perhaps we speeded up the process.
-
TWTS: Bare, bald, and boldfaced lies
A bare-faced lie may also be bald. Sometimes, it may even be bold.
-
TWTS: When "thank you" is your only option
It doesn't seem like coming up with a response to "thank you" should be that complicated. When you think about it though, there are a lot of options.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Customer Reviews
It’s Oscar Season!
Why do all the Hollywood celebrities use the torturous phrase “I’m appreciative of” instead of “I appreciate” when thanking all the little people during an Oscar acceptance speech?
This reminds me of another passively torturous phrase, “you are so missed”, in place of “we miss you.” I wonder why people adopt such affected phrasing…
“I resonate with this.”
I love this. Please do the word “resonate.” Why the surge in popularity lately and rampant misusage?
Thanks!
I absorb books about English usage, so I have looked forward to and enjoyed Sunday mornings.
However occasionally I do miss some broadcasts, so THANK YOU for the blog! We are about to fly to see our (UM Alumna) daughter, so I am saving the blog entries as a treat during our the flight. Love it!
Jim