That's What They Say

Working out with dumbbells may be a fitness craze now, but the fitness craze that started ... more

If you’d just as soon not learn about an eggcorn that some language pundits really dislike... more

We can be angry or infuriated or outraged or furious or livid or incensed, all of which ma... more

Usage guide writers, seeing some confusion afoot, tell us to be wary about the distinction... more

Even though "mug shots" do not involve drinking or "mugs" in that sense, we can draw a his... more

From campfire wood to troubleshooting, English usage provides plenty of curiosities for an... more

Only some English speakers have grammars that allow them to say “We might could make that ... more

When you have a language podcast, you come across a lot of usages that make you think, “I ... more

Mountains may be peaked, collars may be peaked, but when we’re sick, we’re not “peaked” bu... more

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

Listeners write to us regularly with their language peeves, which we love. Sometimes they ... more

When we inquire about something, it doesn’t really matter if we "inquire" or "enquire." Ho... more

With the words "disinterested" and "uninterested," it’s not that a distinction has been lo... more

If something is crummy, then we could also call it lousy, which gives us a clue about how ... more

When we’re talking about a small book for teaching children to read, or really any short b... more

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

When it comes to media, here's the message: It’s time for a truce between the singular agr... more

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

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

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