Rebecca Kruth

1 week 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.

2 weeks 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.

3 weeks 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.

1 month 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.

1 month 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.