That's What They Say
Anne Curzan, Rebecca Hector · Michigan Public
Show overview
That's What They Say launched in 2025 and has put out 26 episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 2 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run under ten minutes — most land between 5 min and 5 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Education show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed earlier today, with 20 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2026, with 20 episodes published. Published by Michigan Public.
From the publisher
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!
Latest Episodes
View all 26 episodesTWTS: The death of doornails
TWTS: When "f" and "v" were sort of one
TWTS: "Peak" felt fine until it was "peaked"
TWTS: Why no one is "gonna Pittsburgh"
TWTS: From "6-7" to sixes and sevens
TWTS: A hangout is a great place to hang out
TWTS: Fore! It's a lightning round
This may be one of the only times that throw pillows, golf, and curling all get wrapped into the same discussion.
TWTS: Humbled in victory, humbled in defeat
When we get schooled at something, we may feel humbled by the experience; but when we win something, we may also say we feel humbled by the experience.
TWTS: When a reign becomes rain
When terror rains down, we suddenly have a spelling question.
TWTS: The Declaration of ... Independency?
The Declaration of Independence could readily have been the Declaration of Independency.
TWTS: Bereft or just lacking?
We can be bereaved, we can be bereft, and sometimes we can be both bereaved and bereft.
TWTS: The wonky journey of "wonky"
There are a few different ways to be wonky, some of which are positive and some of which, not so much.
TWTS: Not all sounds resonate
The way some people use "resonate" doesn't resonate with all of our listeners.
TWTS: If you're in hurry, you should scurry
If we’re involved in a hurry-scurry retreat or a harum-scarum dash, perhaps things are also helter-skelter.
TWTS: The right snuff
If you’re not up to snuff, you’re not up to scratch and maybe you don’t get a cigar.
TWTS: A recurring question can reoccur
This week’s question has not been a recurring one, by which we mean it has occurred once and not reoccurred.
TWTS: For crotchety cranks who crochet
If it seems unlikely that crotchety people are related, at least etymologically, to those who do crochet, stay tuned.
TWTS: The American Dialect Society's 2025 Word of the Year is...
Given how much we’re talking about AI right now, it’s no surprise that AI-related words featured prominently in this year’s word of the year vote.
TWTS: Generics
Sometimes we don’t realize that we’re using a trademarked term differently from those around us.
TWTS: When language gets spicy
We can pepper our food or pepper our speech or, if the mood strikes us, we can be peppy in a pep rally kind of way.