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.
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TWTS: When it comes to "lie" and "lay," even English professors get confused
5:17
5:17
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Even for speakers who feel solid about the distinction between "lie" and "lay," they may lose that distinction when "low" is added to the mix.By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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TWTS: We're not done talking about "alright," all right?
5:20
5:20
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5:20
All right, last week, we got distracted by the versatility of "all right." This week, we look at why spelling it as one word, "alright," makes some people really mad.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: "Alright" is not just all right with everyone
4:43
4:43
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4:43
All right, all right. It's time for us to start talking about whether "alright" is all right.By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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Wait, wait, don't tell me I can't wait on things.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: How worms of destruction begat worms of wisdom
4:50
4:50
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4:50
While now we may think of being a bookworm as a positive trait, that hasn't always been the case.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: It "ghosts" without saying ... well, anything
4:54
4:54
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4:54
Social media has made a couple of longstanding English verbs work or mean differently.By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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TWTS: You can pay homage with or without the "h"
4:57
4:57
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4:57
If you want to pronounce "homage" to a tee, it may depend what you mean.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: Learning new slang is good "for the plot"
5:10
5:10
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5:10
As we live our lives, there's some new slang words that can help us narrate it as we go. That is, if we're in a demographic that allows us to use slang credibly.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: Whether "or not" belongs in "whether or not" or not
5:07
5:07
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5:07
We don’t all agree on whether or not we should correct the phrasing "whether or not."By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: Going forth and back on "back and forth"
4:10
4:10
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4:10
We can talk about sending emails back and forth. But why does it sound odd to talk about sending them forth and back?By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: You can tuna fish, but you may not need the "fish"
4:52
4:52
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4:52
Given that “tuna” is a fish, some may find it unnecessary to call out that fact out in the compound “tuna fish.” For others, “fish” may be an important distinction.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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You can be prone to do something, whether you're lying down or not.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: Attend as many "trainings" as you like
5:17
5:17
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There’s evidence of a new peeve arising. This one is focused on “training” as a countable noun.By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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Lots of people don't like the redundancy in "irregardless." However, no one's fussy about the redundancy in a phrase like "a friend of mine."By Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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An ouster can be an act of ousting, or it can be the one who does the ousting. But we seem to have opted for one of those meanings over the other.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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At this point, we can manifest our dream future, a good grade on a exam, or even a parking spot.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: "Curry favor" comes from a horse (of course, of course)
4:48
4:48
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Currying favor has everything to do with flattery and horses, and nothing to do with food.By Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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