Podcast
That's What They Say
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!
- Episodes
- 22
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 5 min
- On air since
- 2026
- Latest episode
- 4 days ago
Episodes
22 episodes, newest first
-
5 min
TWTS: A phrase made from "scratch"
Show notes
Cookies or bread made from scratch sound great, and raise the question of what the scratch is.
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5 min
TWTS: A healthy dose of healthy language
Show notes
We can be healthy and eating an apple seems clearly healthy, and then there’s the healthy dose of salt, which may not be healthy at all.
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5 min
TWTS: When "f" and "v" were sort of one
Show notes
If you know how the sound ‘f’ worked in Old English, it suddenly isn’t mysterious why the noun "leaf" with an "f" turns into "leaves" with a "v" when you make it plural
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5 min
TWTS: Why no one is "gonna Pittsburgh"
Show notes
If I say I’m gonna do it, I don’t necessarily mean I’m headed out the door right now to do it.
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5 min
TWTS: Dictionaries get glow-ups too
Show notes
The New York Times announced that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary “is wordsmaxxing” and NBC News described it as a “glow-up” of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
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5 min
TWTS: The same, just more exact
Show notes
Concerns about redundancy are back this week. It's the exact same thing we’ve talked about before, but this time about the expression "exact same."
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5 min
TWTS: Fore! It's a lightning round
Show notes
This may be one of the only times that throw pillows, golf, and curling all get wrapped into the same discussion.
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5 min
TWTS: "Proactive" gets a reaction in advance
Show notes
While people may agree that being proactive is a positive trait, the word proactive can elicit some very negative reactions, so to speak.
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6 min
TWTS: Cat chasing pixies? There's a word for that
Show notes
Is your cat running around in circles? Be advised, that kitty might be pixilated.
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5 min
TWTS: Old English, new boundaries
Show notes
When we talk about Middle English, it suggests that we know when English began and when it ends.
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5 min
TWTS: The cards language deals
Show notes
There are lots of cards we can still play now, but we’ve lost some good ones too.
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5 min
TWTS: "Hunky dory" is doing just fine
Show notes
If "hunky dory" means the same thing as "right as rain," then we face the question of how right rain is.
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5 min
TWTS: "Highfalutin" is too good for one spelling
Show notes
While we may know highfalutin language when we hear it, we don't all agree about how to spell "highfalutin" or where it comes from.
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5 min
TWTS: Be careful what you hear around the scuttlebutt
Show notes
We exchange scuttlebutt at the proverbial water cooler, and there's an etymological clue in that.
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5 min
TWTS: Time to talk about your watch
Show notes
The little clock we wear on our wrist could be called a clock. Instead, it has long had its own term, being called a watch instead.
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6 min
TWTS: Careful how you're using that 👍
Show notes
Sometimes new slang jumps out in front of you, waving its hands, or thumbs, so that you can’t help but notice it. Sometimes it just sneaks up on you.
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5 min
TWTS: Understanding the depth of "fathom"
Show notes
We can count fathoms when we’re measuring things. We can also metaphorically fathom or not fathom things.
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5 min
TWTS: Speaking of "bespoke"
Show notes
This is a bespoke segment of That’s What They Say that focuses on “bespoke.”
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5 min
TWTS: Up and down your alley... and your street
Show notes
If it’s up your alley, it might also be up your street. And perhaps it’s down rather than up.
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5 min
TWTS: One rank, two pronunciations
Show notes
You say "lieutenant," I say “leftenant” but let’s not call the whole thing off.
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