TWTS: "Disinterested" is "uninterested" but not the other way around
With the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," it’s not that a distinction has been lost, but rather that a distinction has been intentionally created.
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5:14
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5:14
TWTS: "Crummy" and "lousy" have a crummy relationship
If something is crummy, then we could also call it lousy, which gives us a clue about how crummy came to mean what it means.
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5:19
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5:19
TWTS: "Primer" is pronounced "primer," unless you prefer "primer"
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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5:28
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5:28
TWTS: Won't someone think of the kiddos?
The word "kid" is already informal, and now we have the word "kiddo" living alongside it.
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5:27
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5:27
TWTS: The media is the message, or are they?
When it comes to media, here's the message: It’s time for a truce between the singular agreement people and the plural agreement people.
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 All Things Considered host Rebecca Kruth.
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