This is a bespoke segment of That’s What They Say that focuses on “bespoke.”
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5:22
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5:22
TWTS: Why "peeves" make great pets
Listeners write to us regularly with their language peeves, which we love. Sometimes they call these peeves their "pet peeves."
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4:53
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4:53
TWTS: An inquiry into "inquire" and "enquire"
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."
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4:38
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4:38
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.
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 Hector.
Ireland