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.
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TWTS: Your caring about gerunds is noble, but you caring is nice too
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You could say, "I don't like him singing," or you could say, "I don't like his singing." Believe it or not, some folks have very strong feelings about which of those is correct.Por Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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It's all so grammatically straight forward in the present tense if you plead innocent. Later on though, should you tell people you "pleaded" innocent or "pled" innocent?Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: Goods in the can may not always be "canned"
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The sign at the grocery store said “can goods,” not “canned goods.”Por Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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TWTS: Keeping track of “track” and “tract"
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We keep track of things, we lose track of things, we run track, and listen to tracks. Sometimes though, we confuse “track” with “tract.”Por Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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TWTS: The “all” in “alls” is just another tough one to call
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Alls our listener wanted to know is what's going on with the “alls” in “alls I know.”Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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Technically, not everyone you buy real estate from is a realtor.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: The day sped by when time speeded up
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The summer sped by and the car sped off, but perhaps we speeded up the process.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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A bare-faced lie may also be bald. Sometimes, it may even be bold.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: When "thank you" is your only option
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It doesn't seem like coming up with a response to "thank you" should be that complicated. When you think about it though, there are a lot of options.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: When it comes to "lie" and "lay," even English professors get confused
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Even for speakers who feel solid about the distinction between "lie" and "lay," they may lose that distinction when "low" is added to the mix.Por Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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TWTS: We're not done talking about "alright," all right?
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All right, last week, we got distracted by the versatility of "all right." This week, we look at why spelling it as one word, "alright," makes some people really mad.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: "Alright" is not just all right with everyone
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All right, all right. It's time for us to start talking about whether "alright" is all right.Por Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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Wait, wait, don't tell me I can't wait on things.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: How worms of destruction begat worms of wisdom
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While now we may think of being a bookworm as a positive trait, that hasn't always been the case.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: It "ghosts" without saying ... well, anything
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Social media has made a couple of longstanding English verbs work or mean differently.Por Anne Curzan, Rebecca Kruth
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TWTS: You can pay homage with or without the "h"
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If you want to pronounce "homage" to a tee, it may depend what you mean.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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TWTS: Learning new slang is good "for the plot"
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As we live our lives, there's some new slang words that can help us narrate it as we go. That is, if we're in a demographic that allows us to use slang credibly.Por Rebecca Kruth, Anne Curzan
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