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KMUW

From KMUW Studios and part of the NPR Podcast Network, You're Saying It Wrong is a podcast that looks at what we get wrong—and what we sometimes get right—when it comes to this English language. Hosted by KMUW's Fletcher Powell, each episode features a conversation with the sister and brother who wrote the book on it. Literally. You're Saying It Wrong: A Pronunciation Guide to the 150 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words and Their Tangled Histories of Misuse is by Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras.On June 24, 2022, You’re Saying It Wrong received first place in Division B for Interview Podcasts from the Public Media Journalists Association. The awards recognize the best work in public media journalism from across the country.

Total 189 episodes

2

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Autumn Mailbag!

Autumn Mailbag!

Now that we're out of summer, it's finally cooled down enough for us to go outside to check the mailbox! We tackle some listener questions and pet peeves, and we take a look at a bizarre new phrase that's entered the language.

27:2327/10/2023

The dictionary's newest words (part 2)

The dictionary's newest words (part 2)

We continue on with our look at the newest words that have been added to dictionaries, and Kathy offers an enormous mea culpa.

32:4213/10/2023

The dictionary's newest words

The dictionary's newest words

Hot off the presses (or whatever the internet is... cyberpresses?), we look at the newest entries into Dictionary.com!

33:0029/09/2023

Grammar thingies

Grammar thingies

This week, we look at some of those nitpicky little grammar traps that sometimes trip us up.

32:2715/09/2023

You're Spelling It Wrong 2023

You're Spelling It Wrong 2023

With the kids headed back to school, Kathy and Ross decided to challenge Fletcher (former two-time district spelling bee runner-up) to a spelling bee!

29:3901/09/2023

The words of summer

The words of summer

It's hot! Still. And why mess with a good thing? We heat up a little more with a quiz about summer-related words!

34:2918/08/2023

Around the world in 30 minutes

Around the world in 30 minutes

Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia... England... a lot of places have tough to pronounce names for Americans, and our listeners aren't letting us forget it. It's time for a global road trip!

34:0204/08/2023

You're telling me that's English?? (Part 2)

You're telling me that's English?? (Part 2)

Having been bamboozled by Kathy and Ross in the previous episode, Fletcher resolves to get at one question right this time around. Don't hold your breath, Fletch.

36:2821/07/2023

You're telling me that's English??

You're telling me that's English??

With the words we use in English coming from so many different languages, Kathy and Ross challenge Fletcher to a quiz about word origins. And somehow we end up talking about both bazookas and grenades, so things escalate quickly.

34:0307/07/2023

Let's do a grammar quiz!

Let's do a grammar quiz!

Kathy and Ross try to stump Fletcher with some tricky grammar questions, including a long, confusing trip through collective nouns.

33:5822/06/2023

Road trip!

Road trip!

This time, we're taking a trip through some of the most commonly mispronounced places in the good ol' USA. Hop in! Things might get a little bumpy...

42:4209/06/2023

That used to mean what??

That used to mean what??

Hey there, guy, grab a plate of meat and join us as we look at some everyday words that have REALLY changed their meanings over time!

29:1426/05/2023

We did it by (on?) accident!

We did it by (on?) accident!

A listener question forces us to take a hard look at how we use prepositions, including whether we do things "by" accident or "on" accident, and Fletcher asks why we can't just do things "by" purpose.

38:1412/05/2023

Big words we actually kind of like

Big words we actually kind of like

We've been a little bit cranky lately, so we thought we'd dig up some big-sounding words we're actually fond of. How deliquescent! (wait, that's not right...)

39:5128/04/2023

The twisted world of bureaucracy

The twisted world of bureaucracy

Having tried to wrap our heads around the world of academic language, we now take a stab at trying to untangle the meaning of phrases bureaucracies and corporations produce as they try to sound fancy (and avoid legal trouble).

31:5814/04/2023

In the hells of academia

In the hells of academia

A listener question prompts us to try to translate some nearly impenetrable examples of academic writing.

36:4531/03/2023

Mailbag day!

Mailbag day!

We head back to the mailbag to answer some listener questions, including one about the origins of "woke," and another about the power of the bossy R.

28:0117/03/2023

That still doesn't mean what you think it means, part 2

That still doesn't mean what you think it means, part 2

We continue to look back at some words from Kathy and Ross' book "That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means", and we start to wonder if words actually have any meaning at all.

34:1503/03/2023

That still doesn't mean what you think it means

That still doesn't mean what you think it means

We revisit Kathy and Ross' 2018 book That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means (now out on audiobook!) and some of the words they wrote about that still give them trouble.

32:4417/02/2023

The Staying Power of Slang

The Staying Power of Slang

A lot of slang words only last a year or two, but others stick around. We take a look at some that have stood the test of time, and it turns out a bunch of them are older than we realize.

33:2503/02/2023

Searching for meaning in Gen Z slang

Searching for meaning in Gen Z slang

The old people try their hand at sussing out the meanings of Gen Z slang words, although we all remain skeptical that actual people in Gen Z use any of these words. Groovy!

29:0420/01/2023

The most mispronounced words of 2022

The most mispronounced words of 2022

It's an episode we look forward to each January, as we take a look back at the most mispronounced words of the previous year. Even the dinosaurs said one of these wrong!

45:5206/01/2023

Wait, THESE are the words of the year??

Wait, THESE are the words of the year??

Kathy and Ross take major issue with various choices for words of the year for 2022. What makes for a good word of the year? Can anyone please our experts?

33:1623/12/2022

Will We Ever Learn?

Will We Ever Learn?

While recording the audio versions of their books, Kathy and Ross discover there are words they've written about that they STILL say wrong, even after all these years.

43:2909/12/2022

Come Sit With Us a Spell

Come Sit With Us a Spell

After we puzzle over some words Kathy and Ross recently found in the news, we'll tackle a list of the English language's most misspelled words. Two billion tweets can't be wrong, can they? (Yes, they can, and are.)

41:4925/11/2022

Get My Agentive Suffix On the Phone!

Get My Agentive Suffix On the Phone!

Turns out agentive suffixes are popular! We tackle a number of listener questions we got after our first episode on the topic, and Kathy gets VERY excited about a couple of the words that come up.

32:3911/11/2022

Happy Spooky Season

Happy Spooky Season

It's the spoooookiest episode we've ever had, as we dive into the roots of the scary words we hear each Halloween. Vampires! Werewolves! Witches and Warlocks! Press play... if you dare...

37:3628/10/2022

Secret Agentive Suffix Man! - YSIW

Secret Agentive Suffix Man! - YSIW

A listener asks why some words end in -er, while other similar words end in -or, like "seller" vs. "vendor," or "supervisor" vs. "manager." My friend, you may be sorry you asked!

37:2614/10/2022

Mangrove Peat Accretion | YSIW

Mangrove Peat Accretion | YSIW

WARNING: There is some very heated sibling rivalry in this episode, about some things we never would have expected (that title is a hint).

40:1430/09/2022

SAT Prep

SAT Prep

OK, kids! The SATs are coming up, and we've got your perfect study guide right here! We look at some words that tend to trip people up, or maybe that you've never even heard before at all. Disclaimer: We don't actually know how the SAT even works anymore.

33:5616/09/2022

Separated by a Common Language, Part 2

Separated by a Common Language, Part 2

Our discussion of spelling differences between American English and British English continues.

33:2702/09/2022

Separated by a Common Language

Separated by a Common Language

On one side, you have people spelling it "realise," on the other, it's "realize." And the poor Canadians are caught right in the middle.

37:4819/08/2022

Wait... Is There a Difference? Part 2

Wait... Is There a Difference? Part 2

After we take another (brief) run at the lie/lay problem, we continue our discussion of words we often use interchangeably that might actually have different meanings.

34:2505/08/2022

Wait... Is There a Difference?

Wait... Is There a Difference?

A listener question has us talking about words we often use interchangeably that actually might mean different things.

38:0922/07/2022

Happy 100!

Happy 100!

We celebrate our 100th episode with a bunch of listener questions, including some age-old language controversies and even a question from someone we've driven to drink...

49:5811/07/2022

Hold Tight!

Hold Tight!

We had such a great response to the call for listener questions for the 100th episode of You're Saying It Wrong that we decided to take a little extra time to sift through them. It will be a few more days before that episode comes out, but it'll be worth the wait!

30:4008/07/2022

Phrasal Verbs | YSIW

Phrasal Verbs | YSIW

Listen up! After we learn not to take investing advice from Kathy, we move on to a discussion of phrasal verbs. What are phrasal verbs, you ask? Stick around to find out...

34:0224/06/2022

Join in the Celebration! (A Small Request)

Join in the Celebration! (A Small Request)

You're Saying It Wrong's 100th episode is on the horizon, and we have a special request.

01:0420/06/2022

You're spelling it wrong... again

You're spelling it wrong... again

In honor of the National Spelling Bee, we return to our trip through the list of most commonly misspelled words in the English language. Wait... misspelled? Mispelled? Mis-spelled? These darn double letters... Also, we start out with a brief discussion that is *chef's kiss*.

41:2410/06/2022

A dangling modifier walks into a bar...

A dangling modifier walks into a bar...

Jumping off from some recent Twitter confusion, we look at how much trouble there can be when we misplace our modifiers, or just let them dangle in the wind. Recording this podcast, no animals were harmed.

30:4027/05/2022

Dead Grammar Is? | YSIW

Dead Grammar Is? | YSIW

We set aside our usual games and quizzes for a wide-ranging discussion about the necessity of grammar rules, when we need them and when we don't, who gets to decide what's "right" and what's "wrong," and whether we need to rethink that.

53:0113/05/2022

Genericide | YSIW

Genericide | YSIW

We continue on with our discussion of trademarks by looking at words that were once trademarked, but have become so widely used that they've actually lost that trademark. Also, Kathy sings! And Ross explains why he never sings.

38:3829/04/2022

Trademark this!

Trademark this!

Hey, can we trademark this? No, I mean, can we trademark the word, "this"? We may not be lawyers, but that's never stopped us from having opinions, especially when it comes to trademarking every word under the sun. I'm sure we can trademark "digression" though, we've cornered the market on that one...

33:1415/04/2022

We're Doing Some Verbing | YSIW

We're Doing Some Verbing | YSIW

Which came first, the chicken or the chickening out? The egg or the egging on? The noun or the verb? Today we're looking at verbing nouns and nouning verbs, and maybe even a little adjectiving while we're at it. Trust us, this episode is NOT cringe!

34:4301/04/2022

A Visit From Lady Mondegreen | YSIW

A Visit From Lady Mondegreen | YSIW

Have you ever wondered who Jimi Hendrix was talking about when he sang, "'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy"? We don't know! Because that's not what he said. Today we look at mondegreens, those times we mishear lyrics or phrases in ways that completely change their meaning.

35:3318/03/2022

Encore: Place Name Showdown

Encore: Place Name Showdown

Horrors! As a result of some unforeseen circumstances, we're without a new episode this week. We're disappointed, too! But this does give us a chance to listen back to one of our favorite episodes (actually two of them, combined), from early 2020, which also contains some information that's very relevant to current global events. We really do apologize, and we'll be back in two weeks with a shiny new episode for your ears to enjoy.

44:3404/03/2022

A really, really, really hard quiz

A really, really, really hard quiz

First we take a look at a survey of words that people think make other people sound smart, and then we tackle the most difficult word quiz we've ever had on the show. No, really, this is sorta nuts. Plus, some investing advice you should definitely NOT take.

43:0718/02/2022

We're in a Mood | YSIW

We're in a Mood | YSIW

If I were you, I'd hold on to my hat, because in this week's episode we're going to try to tackle the subjunctive mood! We're doing a lot of this under protest.

29:3904/02/2022

Driving Linguistic Change | YSIW

Driving Linguistic Change | YSIW

Some listener emails prompted Kathy and Ross to take a look at the idea that women are the real drivers of innovation in language.

29:0921/01/2022

Get Thee Behind Me, 2021! | YSIW

Get Thee Behind Me, 2021! | YSIW

It's our annual airing of grievances, as we vent about the words we'd like to leave in the rear view mirror as we head into a new year. And fair warning: we get pretty petty!

38:0507/01/2022