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2 weeks ago | 
michiganpublic.org | Anne Curzan |Rebecca Kruth
Note: This episode of That's What They Say originally aired on February 26, 2023. When we’re talking about a small book for teaching children to read, or really any short book that introduces a topic, there are two competing pronunciations of the word for that book.
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2 weeks ago | 
michiganpublic.org | Rebecca Kruth |Anne Curzan
Last fall in Chicago, Professor Anne Curzan gave a talk that sparked an unexpected question during the Q&A: “What’s going on with 'kiddo'? I now hear it all the time as a description of kids.”“Kiddo” does seem to be popping up more often as both an affectionate term and a general label for childrenTo understand “kiddo,” it helps to start with “kid.” This word goes back to the 12th century, when it originally referred to a young goat.
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3 weeks 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.
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1 month 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.
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1 month 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.
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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.
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2 months 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.
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2 months ago | 
michiganpublic.org | Rebecca Kruth |Anne Curzan
If it feels like you've been hearing the phrase "out of whack" more often lately, you're not imagining things. Its use has been steadily rising in both British and American English over the past 25 years. We've noticed it too, so we decided look into "whack" and its many uses. Originally, whack meant “a vigorous blow.” It dates back to the 1700s and is probably imitative, i.e. it's probably meant to echo the sound of the blow itself. It could be a variant of thwack.
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2 months 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.
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2 months 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.
