Anne Curzan

1 week ago | michiganpublic.org | Anne Curzan |Rebecca Kruth

We often talk about stealing or robbery using the word "lifting." We might talk about someone "lifting a wallet" or "lifting electronics." That wordplay is also relevant when it comes to heists. Merriam-Webster defines a "heist" as simply an "armed robbery." Most of us would agree that a heist is a bit more involved than the average robbery. We think of heists as carefully orchestrated plans, carried out by a crew of thieves with elaborate disguises and highly specific skill sets.

2 weeks ago | michiganpublic.org | Rebecca Kruth |Anne Curzan

If you were to transcribe the last conversation you had with a friend, word for word, what would it look like? For starters, there would probably be at least a few dozen extra words, depending on how long you talked. Think of how many times we say things like "but" or "and" or "you know" in informal conversation.