TWTS: The expressionless expression of "deadpan"
The word "deadpan" is on the rise, as multiple parts of speech. That "pan" is related to the historical expression “shut your pan."
Episodes
That's What They Say
That's What They Say is a weekly segment on Michigan Public that explores our changing language. Each week University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan will discuss why we say what we say with Michigan Public Weekend Edition host Rebecca Kruth.
Episodes
TWTS: Whenever you say "whenever"
Not all of us use the word 'whenever' in exactly the same way, and people are noticing.
TWTS: One hundred is worth a hundred
It’s 100% true that people online are asking about sentences like, “I got an a hundred on the test.”
TWTS: Not all sounds resonate
The way some people use "resonate" doesn't resonate with all of our listeners.
TWTS: When a sweep gets clean
We can sweep the floor, sweep the board, sweep the stakes, sweep the series – and maybe it will even be called a "clean sweep."
TWTS: May as well get comfortable with "comfortability"
While you may not find “comfortability” in many standard dictionaries yet, it is out there in circulation with “comfortableness.”
TWTS: If you find “the lurch,” don’t stick around
Sometimes we’re left in the lurch. It’s probably fair to say that most of us don’t know where that lurch is.
TWTS: Where did that pit in your stomach come from?
It appears that some of those bad or uneasy feelings we may feel in the pit of our stomach have become a pit in our stomach.
TWTS: The American Dialect Society's 2024 Word of the Year
It's that time again. With 2024 behind us, we can vote on the word of the year.
TWTS: When language gets spicy
We can pepper our food or pepper our speech. If the mood strikes us, we can be peppy in a pep rally sort of way.
TWTS: There are reasons to use "there are" before a plural, and there's reasons to use "there's"
There's examples all over the the place of people using "there's" before a plural noun. In fact, we just gave you one.
TWTS: The "doink" heard 'round the stadium
As 2024 comes to a close, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs football team gave us a reason to use the verb "doink."
TWTS: Reach out and ping someone
We can still reach out the car window to grab a parking ticket, but today, "reaching out" can also mean "pinging" someone to make a connection.
TWTS: A quintessential enough guide to "quintessential"
The words "decimate" and "unique" are quintessential examples of how a word’s meaning can shift from its etymological roots.
TWTS: The not-so-ordinary world of "ordinary" and "ornery"
"Ornery" seems like an ordinary enough word, but its link to "ordinary" might surprise people.
TWTS: Dilly dallying in the lightning round
As listeners wait with bated breath, we will not dilly dally or shilly shally to get to this lightning round.
TWTS: Language pet peeves don't always stand the test of time
Looking at late 19th century language peeves can often point to a change in progress, but not always.
TWTS: "These ones" made the lightning round
Of all the topics we could cover this week on That's What They Say, we chose these ones over those ones.
TWTS: We've seen a change with "sea change"
A sea change can now be caused by many things other than the sea, and some of its dramatic effects have been lost in the process.
TWTS: The touchy third rail
We're going to try not to touch the third rail, but we are going to talk about it.
TWTS: In America, it's always hot dog season
Major League Baseball playoffs and football tailgate season both mean the smell of hot dogs is in the air.