That's What They Say
Sunday at 9:35 AM
That's What They Say is a weekly segment on Michigan Radio that explores our changing language. Each week University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan will discuss why we say what we say with Michigan Radio Weekend Edition host Rebecca Kruth.
Latest Episodes
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Though COVID-19 vaccines were one of the most important things to happen in 2021, “vaccine” didn’t emerge as the winner in Friday night’s vote. -
This New Year’s Eve, we found ourselves wondering, what does “Auld Lang Syne” mean and where does it come from?
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Before there were online possibilities for how students went to class, we just went to class. For many students, that’s simply not the case anymore, especially not during the pandemic.
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There are bucks that are dollars, and those are different from the bucks that stop when the buck stops here.
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It can be a panic-inducing moment when you're asked to say out loud a word that you have primarily or perhaps only encountered in writing—and you’re not sure how to say it.
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It might seem like a fortuitous coincidence is always a good thing, but for some usage commentators, it is at best redundant and at worst misuse.
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A living language like English is changing all the time. Sometimes those changes go unnoticed. Sometimes people react, strongly.
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If you’re within your car, you’re inside it. If you’re without your car, did you leave your car at home or are you standing outside it?
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Expressions like “house and home” and “betwixt and between” are clearly redundant. Don’t cancel them quite yet though -- redundancy isn’t a deal breaker.
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While "passing the mustard" is about handing over the Dijon or spicy brown, "cutting the mustard" is the phrase that means to meet expectations, similar to "passing muster."
