That's What They Say - TopPodcast.com

TWTS: The many faces of "mug" Aug 25, 2025

Even though "mug shots" do not involve drinking or "mugs" in that sense, we can draw a historical connection between these two mugs.

TWTS: Campfire up the lightning round Aug 18, 2025

From campfire wood to troubleshooting, English usage provides plenty of curiosities for another lightning round.

TWTS: Double the modals, double the nuance Aug 11, 2025

Only some English speakers have grammars that allow them to say “We might could make that better” or “We might should eat before the movie.”

TWTS: When your ancestors are the descendants of your ancestors Aug 01, 2025

When you have a language podcast, you come across a lot of usages that make you think, “I would never say that.” A little research and a few contextual examples later, you might just change your mind.

TWTS: "Peak" felt fine until it was "peaked" Jul 28, 2025

Mountains may be peaked, collars may be peaked, but when we’re sick, we’re not “peaked” but “peak-ed.”

TWTS: Speaking of "bespoke" Jul 21, 2025

This is a bespoke segment of That’s What They Say that focuses on “bespoke.”

TWTS: Why "peeves" make great pets Jul 14, 2025

Listeners write to us regularly with their language peeves, which we love. Sometimes they call these peeves their "pet peeves."

TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire" Jul 06, 2025

When we inquire about something, it doesn’t really matter if we "inquire" or "enquire." However, with the verb "insure," it matters if we "insure" or "ensure."

TWTS: "Disinterested" is "uninterested" but not the other way around Jun 30, 2025

With the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," it’s not that a distinction has been lost, but rather that a distinction has been intentionally created.

TWTS: "Crummy" and "lousy" have a crummy relationship Jun 23, 2025

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.

TWTS: "Primer" is pronounced "primer," unless you prefer "primer" Jun 13, 2025

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.

TWTS: Won't someone think of the kiddos? Jun 09, 2025

The word "kid" is already informal, and now we have the word "kiddo" living alongside it.

TWTS: The media is the message, or are they? Jun 02, 2025

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.

TWTS: Goody goody whose shoes? May 30, 2025

Oh goody, it's time to talk about all the goodies!

TWTS: Are do gooders as good as good doers? May 19, 2025

If you are trying to do good in the world, some would now argue it’s better to be a “good doer” than a “do gooder.”

TWTS: When clarity is needed, badly May 12, 2025

It is less ambiguous to say “I badly need to shower” than it is to say “I need to shower badly.”

TWTS: Both may come from a hare, but it's still "hide nor hair" May 02, 2025

There’s the hair on our heads and the hares in our yards, and there has been some confusion about which one is part of the expression "harebrained."

TWTS: Presumptions and assumptions about "presume" and "assume" Apr 28, 2025

We can presume things, which may or may not be presumptuous. We can also assume things, which then raises the question of whether things can be "assumptuous."

TWTS: Taking a whack at "whack" Apr 18, 2025

For those of us of a certain age, if we whack a tennis ball or a softball too hard or at the wrong angle, we could throw our back out of whack.

TWTS: How "heist" was lifted for a life of crime Apr 11, 2025

We sometimes talk about stealing or robbery in terms of "lifting" things, and this is relevant to "heists" as well.