That's What They Say
Friday at 4:45 p.m. and Sunday at 9:35 a.m.
Funner, snuck, and LOL are all things that we're hearing people say these days.
That's What They Say is a weekly segment on Michigan Public that explores our changing language. University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan studies linguistics and the history of the English language. Each week she'll discuss why we say what we say with Michigan Public All Things Considered host Rebecca Hector.
That's What They Say airs Fridays at 4:45 p.m. and Sundays at 9:35 a.m. on Michigan Public and you can podcast it here.
Do you have an English or grammar question? Ask us here!
Latest Episodes
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Usage guide writers, seeing some confusion afoot, tell us to be wary about the distinction between "wary” and “weary.” -
Even though "mug shots" do not involve drinking or "mugs" in that sense, we can draw a historical connection between these two mugs.
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From campfire wood to troubleshooting, English usage provides plenty of curiosities for another lightning round.
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Only some English speakers have grammars that allow them to say “We might could make that better” or “We might should eat before the movie.”
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When you have a language podcast, you come across a lot of usages that make you think, “I would never say that.” A little research and a few contextual examples later, you might just change your mind.
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Mountains may be peaked, collars may be peaked, but when we’re sick, we’re not “peaked” but “peak-ed.”
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This is a bespoke segment of That’s What They Say that focuses on “bespoke.”
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Listeners write to us regularly with their language peeves, which we love. Sometimes they call these peeves their "pet peeves." -
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."
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With the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," it’s not that a distinction has been lost, but rather that a distinction has been intentionally created.
