Anne Curzan

6 days ago | michiganpublic.org | Anne Curzan |Rebecca Kruth

Language, and our treatment of it, evolves as culture and technology change. One place where culture and technology have changed massively over the years is the media. It's no wonder why our listener Laurel Federbush had this question: "Has 'media' become a singular word by now? Because technically it’s plural."That's a great question. Yes, while “media” is technically plural, its singular usage has become increasingly common and widely accepted.

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

If you’re trying to make a positive impact in this world, you might want to reevaluate your intentions if others are referring to you as a “do gooder.” On the other hand, if they’re calling you a “good doer,” you probably are, in fact, doing some good. Of course, since this is a language program, we’re also interested in the fact that “do gooder” doesn’t follow the patterns that other compounds follow. We’re used to a noun followed by a verb with “er” at the end.

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

Sometimes, it feels as though the English language is practically begging to be made into a dad joke. Think: “The average person is really mean," or “I’m reading a book about gravity—it’s impossible to put down.”Cue the groans. Still, dad jokes aren't without their merit when it comes to sparking genuine curiosity about our language. Our listener Tim Broach writes, "My wife will sometimes say she needs to shower badly. I’ll usually make the dad joke that I’d prefer she shower well.

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

Note: This episode of That's What They Say originally aired on July 2, 2023. Sometimes it seems like homophones exist purely to make our lives more difficult. For example, there's the hair on your head and the hare eats all the lettuce in your garden. You could ask someone to style your hair, and end up with a bunny in an Armani suit.

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

Is it safe to assume that "assume" and "presume" follow the same rules? They sound similar, have overlapping meanings, and often get used interchangeably. But when was the last time you heard someone say "assumptuous?"Presumably never. After all, the only safe assumption about English is that there aren't any safe assumptions. While it's true that both "assume" and "presume" can mean “to take for granted,” they tend to have different connotations.