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That's What They Say

That's What They Say

26 episodes

TWTS: The death of doornails

May 15, 20264 min

TWTS: When "f" and "v" were sort of one

May 8, 20265 min

TWTS: "Peak" felt fine until it was "peaked"

May 1, 20265 min

TWTS: Why no one is "gonna Pittsburgh"

Apr 24, 20265 min

TWTS: From "6-7" to sixes and sevens

Apr 20, 20265 min

TWTS: A hangout is a great place to hang out

Apr 13, 20265 min

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.

Apr 6, 20265 min

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.

Mar 30, 20265 min

TWTS: When a reign becomes rain

When terror rains down, we suddenly have a spelling question.

Mar 23, 20265 min

TWTS: The Declaration of ... Independency?

The Declaration of Independence could readily have been the Declaration of Independency.

Mar 13, 20265 min

TWTS: Bereft or just lacking?

We can be bereaved, we can be bereft, and sometimes we can be both bereaved and bereft.

Mar 9, 20265 min

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.

Feb 28, 20265 min

TWTS: Not all sounds resonate

The way some people use "resonate" doesn't resonate with all of our listeners.

Feb 20, 20265 min

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.

Feb 16, 20265 min

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.

Feb 8, 20265 min

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.

Jan 31, 20264 min

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.

Jan 26, 20265 min

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.

Jan 17, 20265 min

TWTS: Generics

Sometimes we don’t realize that we’re using a trademarked term differently from those around us.

Jan 12, 20264 min

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.

Jan 2, 20265 min

TWTS: Wishes for good fortune and days off

‘Tis the season to talk about "‘tis" and "‘twas" and, while we’re at it, "hap."

Dec 29, 20254 min

TWTS: Keep your trousers, breeches, and pants on

If you’re too big for your britches, maybe you’re all mouth and trousers.

Dec 21, 20255 min

TWTS: A brief history of pants

The word "pants" has oodles of good linguistic stories to tell, and that’s no pile of pants.

Dec 13, 20255 min

TWTS: Reeling in the small fry

It's a time of year when many of us are cooking and eating big meals together which may involve fried food and "small fry."

Dec 8, 20255 min

TWTS: When downloading gets emotional

Nov 29, 20255 min

TWTS: Movers and shakers made into shapers

Nov 24, 20254 min