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 All Things Considered host Rebecca Kruth.

Episodes

TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"

July 6, 2025 • 4 mins

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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TWTS: "Disinterested" is "uninterested" but not the other way around

June 30, 2025 • 5 mins

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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TWTS: "Crummy" and "lousy" have a crummy relationship

June 23, 2025 • 5 mins

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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TWTS: "Primer" is pronounced "primer," unless you prefer "primer"

June 13, 2025 • 5 mins

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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TWTS: Won't someone think of the kiddos?

June 9, 2025 • 5 mins

The word "kid" is already informal, and now we have the word "kiddo" living alongside it.

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TWTS: The media is the message, or are they?

June 2, 2025 • 5 mins

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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TWTS: Goody goody whose shoes?

May 30, 2025 • 5 mins

Oh goody, it's time to talk about all the goodies!

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TWTS: Are do gooders as good as good doers?

May 19, 2025 • 5 mins

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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TWTS: When clarity is needed, badly

May 12, 2025 • 4 mins

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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TWTS: Both may come from a hare, but it's still "hide nor hair"

May 2, 2025 • 5 mins

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."

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TWTS: Presumptions and assumptions about "presume" and "assume"

April 28, 2025 • 5 mins

We can presume things, which may or may not be presumptuous. We can also assume things, which then raises the question of whether things can be "assumptuous."

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TWTS: Taking a whack at "whack"

April 18, 2025 • 4 mins

For those of us of a certain age, if we whack a tennis ball or a softball too hard or at the wrong angle, we could throw our back out of whack.

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TWTS: How "heist" was lifted for a life of crime

April 11, 2025 • 4 mins

We sometimes talk about stealing or robbery in terms of "lifting" things, and this is relevant to "heists" as well.

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TWTS: That's what they used to say (we think)

April 7, 2025 • 5 mins

We will never know some of the informal language that was bandied about among speakers in the time of Beowulf.

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TWTS: Think hard before pointing out language quirks

March 28, 2025 • 5 mins

There are so many interesting bits of language in the world, we can’t help but notice. The question is, when you notice someone saying something interesting, should you point it out?

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TWTS: When word nerds fight crimes

March 24, 2025 • 5 mins

In a criminal case, you just might need a linguist.

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TWTS: Why your high school forensics club didn't solve crimes

March 16, 2025 • 4 mins

There's competitive forensics, but there's also forensic medicine, forensic accounting, and forensic linguistics too.

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TWTS: The expressionless expression of "deadpan"

March 9, 2025 • 5 mins

The word "deadpan" is on the rise, as multiple parts of speech. That "pan" is related to the historical expression “shut your pan."

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TWTS: Whenever you say "whenever"

February 28, 2025 • 5 mins

Not all of us use the word 'whenever' in exactly the same way, and people are noticing.

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TWTS: One hundred is worth a hundred

February 21, 2025 • 5 mins

It’s 100% true that people online are asking about sentences like, “I got an a hundred on the test.”

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That's What They Say

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}TWTS: "Disinterested" is "uninterested" but not the other way around

TWTS: "Crummy" and "lousy" have a crummy relationship

TWTS: "Primer" is pronounced "primer," unless you prefer "primer"

TWTS: Won't someone think of the kiddos?

TWTS: The media is the message, or are they?

TWTS: Goody goody whose shoes?

TWTS: Are do gooders as good as good doers?

TWTS: When clarity is needed, badly

TWTS: Both may come from a hare, but it's still "hide nor hair"

TWTS: Presumptions and assumptions about "presume" and "assume"

TWTS: Taking a whack at "whack"

TWTS: How "heist" was lifted for a life of crime

TWTS: That's what they used to say (we think)

TWTS: Think hard before pointing out language quirks

TWTS: When word nerds fight crimes

TWTS: Why your high school forensics club didn't solve crimes

TWTS: The expressionless expression of "deadpan"

TWTS: Whenever you say "whenever"

TWTS: One hundred is worth a hundred

Popular Podcasts

TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"

TWTS: "Disinterested" is "uninterested" but not the other way around