That's What They Say

Usage guide writers, seeing some confusion afoot, tell us to be wary about the distinction between "wary” and “weary.”

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

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

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.”

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.

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

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

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."

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.

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.