That's What They Say

Dec 08 2024 20 ep. 5 mins 680
That's What They Say Podcast artwork

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.

  Education  Society & Culture
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TWTS: A quintessential enough guide to "quintessential"

Dec 08 2024 5 mins  
The words "decimate" and "unique" are quintessential examples of how a word’s meaning can shift from its etymological roots.

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

Dec 01 2024 5 mins  
"Ornery" seems like an ordinary enough word, but its link to "ordinary" might surprise people.

TWTS: Dilly dallying in the lightning round

Nov 24 2024 4 mins  
As listeners wait with bated breath, we will not dilly dally or shilly shally to get to this lightning round.

TWTS: Language pet peeves don't always stand the test of time

Nov 17 2024 5 mins  
Looking at late 19th century language peeves can often point to a change in progress, but not always.

TWTS: "These ones" made the lightning round

Nov 11 2024 5 mins  
Of all the topics we could cover this week on That's What They Say, we chose these ones over those ones.

TWTS: We've seen a change with "sea change"

Nov 04 2024 5 mins  
A sea change can now be caused by many things other than the sea, and some of its dramatic effects have been lost in the process.

TWTS: The touchy third rail

Oct 28 2024 5 mins  
We're going to try not to touch the third rail, but we are going to talk about it.

TWTS: In America, it's always hot dog season

Oct 14 2024 5 mins  
Major League Baseball playoffs and football tailgate season both mean the smell of hot dogs is in the air.

TWTS: Petards are for hoisting, not stabbing

Oct 04 2024 5 mins  
We don't encounter petards very often anymore. That’s unless we’re being, metaphorically speaking, “hoisted with our own petard.”

TWTS: Should we stop utilizing "utilize" and just use "use"?

Sep 23 2024 4 mins  
There are plenty of people out there who see "utilize" as a pretentious substitute for "use." However, some people are completely comfortable utilizing the verb "utilize."