That's What They Say
Friday at 4:45 and Sunday at 9:35 AM
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 All Things Considered host Rebecca Kruth.
Latest Episodes
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When we inquire about something, it doesn’t really matter if we "inquire" or "enquire." However, with the verb "insure," it matters if we "insure" or "ensure." -
With the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," it’s not that a distinction has been lost, but rather that a distinction has been intentionally created.
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If something is crummy, then we could also call it lousy, which gives us a clue about how crummy came to mean what it means.
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When we’re talking about a small book for teaching children to read, or really any short book that introduces a topic, there are two competing pronunciations of the word for that book.
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The word "kid" is already informal, and now we have the word "kiddo" living alongside it.
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When it comes to media, here's the message: It’s time for a truce between the singular agreement people and the plural agreement people.
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If you are trying to do good in the world, some would now argue it’s better to be a “good doer” than a “do gooder.”
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It is less ambiguous to say “I badly need to shower” than it is to say “I need to shower badly.”
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There’s the hair on our heads and the hares in our yards, and there has been some confusion about which one is part of the expression "harebrained."
