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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.
YSIW: Place Name Showdown! (Part 2)
The thrilling conclusion of our Place Name Showdown — will Fletcher hang on to his early lead and emerge victorious? What kind of devious traps have Kathy and Ross set? And we'll circle all the way back around to Peking duck...and another dish with a name we may need to rethink.
28:4031/01/2020
YSIW: Place Name Showdown! (Part 1)
Kathy, Ross, and Fletcher face off to see who's tops at pronouncing unusually named cities, countries, and regions from around the world. Who will emerge as the champion pronouncer? Grab a pen and paper and play along to see if you can beat the experts!
22:4617/01/2020
Much Ado About Shakespeare | YSIW
"Abate the edge of traitors...That would reduce these bloudy daies again."
32:1703/01/2020
Merry, Gentlemen? Even Dickens Got It Wrong | YSIW
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
34:1420/12/2019
We're Talking Politics! (Poli-talk?) | YSIW
We're talking politics! (Sort of.) Mayoral, electoral, gubernatorial (where the heck does that one come from?)... and Ross pulls a word from waaaaay out in left field.
21:0606/12/2019
A Little More German | YSIW
We're back to German this episode, but we've got some serious language wanderlust. We'll start with realpolitik, hop over to doppelganger, try to rank weltschmerz vs. ennui vs. angst, take a whole lot of detours and try to talk our way through some questions we have, and also chat a bit about... spare ribs?
29:1122/11/2019
I Know A Little German | YSIW
Schadenfreude, weltschmerz, zeitgeist, sturm und drang... whatever it is, German's probably got a word for it.
28:0708/11/2019
Digging Up Some Fossil Words | YSIW
In this episode of You're Saying It Wrong, we're talking about "fossil words," words that aren't used anymore except in idioms or very specific contexts, like "ado," "dudgeon," and "petard." And we broaden into words that are dying or might be dying in the future.
26:1625/10/2019
Prefixes Leave Us Plussed | YSIW
Can we be combobulated? Or gruntled? Not Fletcher. He's been disgruntled and discombobulated thinking about this subject for a long time.
19:5910/10/2019
Did 'They' Say It Wrong? | YSIW
Merriam-Webster just added to their definition of the word "they" to indicate it's being used as a non-binary gender pronoun. We happen to think that the singular "they" is excellent. As did Shakespeare and Ben Jonson. In fact, the singular "they" can be traced back to 1375.
22:3827/09/2019
Precision In Language | YSIW
In this episode, Fletcher, Kathy & Ross talk about precision in language: why it's good, why it's bad, why we like it, and why we sometimes just need to let it go.
31:4313/09/2019
Which-Hunting: Throwing Out The Rules! | YSIW
OK, lotsa complicated stuff this time.
28:1830/08/2019
Do-Gooders | YSIW
Here's a question for you: How are you?
27:0516/08/2019
When It Comes To Hypercorrectiveness, Woe Are We | YSIW
In this episode, we're talking about using "I" vs. "me" in a sentence ("between you and I" or "between you and me"), who vs. whom, and how people "hypercorrect" and work so hard to get things right that they go too far and end up getting them wrong.
27:0702/08/2019
Strong Verbs! | YSIW
"Last night I lay down my book and sunk into a deep sleep."
24:1319/07/2019
So... | YSIW
So... why do begin sentences this way? Is it OK? In this episode we take a deep dive into the use (or misuse?) of this little word.
24:2805/07/2019
An Avalanche Of Eggcorns! | YSIW
It's an avalanche of eggcorns! Good eggcorns, bad eggcorns, eggcorns it's OK to use, eggcorns you should avoid altogether, and even one eggcorn that's maybe a little bit NSFW.
25:4621/06/2019
You're Saying It... Right? | YSIW
In this episode we're talking about things you actually probably get right. But you get them right without realizing what you're doing.
29:4007/06/2019
We've Entered A Language Penumbra | YSIW
This episode, we're back to words you might think you know, but that you just might be using incorrectly — brought to you by the letter "P".
24:2624/05/2019
With These Words, Maybe We Shouldn't Try | YSIW
Sometimes there are words that really don't mean what they look like they mean. And to avoid confusion, it's probably best you just don't use them.
26:3010/05/2019
It's Time For A Little Housekeeping | YSIW
Now that we have 17 episodes behind us, it's time for a little housekeeping. No, we're not debating the pronunciation of the word "housekeeping," but instead are cleaning up a few odds and ends, answering questions raised from recent episodes.
30:5526/04/2019
Sufferin' Succotash! The Tricky Double 'C' | YSIW
Fletcher turned the tables on Kathy and Ross and selected a word for them in this episode. How do you say flaccid? Or succinct? How about accessory? Those double 'c' words are becoming tricky!
25:4012/04/2019
Hyperbole & The Magic 'E'| YSIW
On this episode of You're Saying It Wrong, Kathy and Ross explain the notion of the magic "e". Does that "e" have anything to do to hyperbole, epitome, Hermione, and Aphrodite? And speaking of Aphrodite, why does hermaphrodite — the combination of Hermes and Aphrodite — play by different rules?
18:1729/03/2019
When 'Jive' Doesn't 'Jibe' In Language | YSIW
In this episode of You're Saying It Wrong, Kathy, Ross and Fletcher discuss jibe vs. jive. They also look at the origins and connotations of "jive" from the 1920s to today.
26:4215/03/2019
It's Your Prerogative, But You're Saying It Wrong.
In this episode of You're Saying It Wrong, Kathy, Ross and Fletcher discuss prerogative and other examples of metathesis (switching letters or sounds around in a word) like prescription, foliage and cavalry.
22:1901/03/2019
Tortuous Conversations Are Torturous | YSIW
In this episode of You're Saying It Wrong, we focus on "confusable words," also sometimes called "paronyms": words that look and/or sound very similar to each other but have different meanings.
26:1115/02/2019
Wait. It's Not 'Spitting Image'? | YSIW
This episode is a bit of a departure for us. Instead of a specific word we tend to say wrong, Kathy and Ross present Fletcher with groups of words we say wrong. (That theme is still the same.)
21:0601/02/2019
Rule Breakers | YSIW
It's probably obvious that we love rules at You're Saying It Wrong. So it's equally unnerving and thrilling when we get to break them. In this episode we're dealing with split infinitives, ending sentences with prepositions, and trying to "Latinize" English — all rules we are allowed to break!
19:5118/01/2019
Clapboard: Say vs. Spell | YSIW
Do you pronounce things the way they're spelled rather than the way they're actually pronounced? This issue of "spelling pronunciation" was raised when Kathy and Ross sent the word clapboard to Fletcher. Which brought up other words like waistcoat, blackguard, and forehead. Has there been a shift toward (or towards, if you fall in that camp) spelling pronunciation?
24:0604/01/2019
Octopus x 2 = ? | YSIW
In this episode, we talk about a lot of different words and how to pluralize them, but the specific question Kathy and Ross asked of our host, Fletcher Powell: "How do you say the plural of octopus?"
22:0221/12/2018
Is Pronunciation Your Forte? | YSIW
Something that a person can do well or a strong ability is called a forte, which is this week's word. You know the definition, but are you saying it wrong?
21:2907/12/2018
When In Gotham... | YSIW
Location, location, location. It's important in real estate, and often it determines pronunciation. Especially when the word is a place. This week's word is Gotham. How do you say it?
21:2523/11/2018
Bruschetta. How Do You Say It? | YSIW
We're back to food in this episode! (We do love to eat.) This week's word is bruschetta. How do you say it?
32:4109/11/2018
And Speaking Of Segue... | YSIW
Have you ever experienced an uninterrupted transition from one piece of music or film scene to another?
19:1026/10/2018
Draught: Are You Saying It Wrong?
Welcome back to You're Saying It Wrong, the podcast!
22:4512/10/2018
Sherbet: Are You Saying It Wrong?
This is You're Saying It Wrong, the podcast! If you listened past the credits of episodes 1 and 2, you know that Fletcher is good about tagging on "one more thing" to each podcast. Episode 3 is no exception.
19:3628/09/2018
Comptroller: Are You Saying It Wrong?
We're back! Welcome to Episode 2 of You're Saying It Wrong, the podcast!
13:0014/09/2018
Moët. Are You Saying It Wrong?
If you're looking for the inaugural episode of the You're Saying It Wrong podcast, you've found it! In this episode, our host, Fletcher Powell, will introduce us to our language experts, sister and brother team Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras, who literally wrote the book on the subject: You're Saying It Wrong. (We stole the title, which is fine, because we stole them, too.)
14:1431/08/2018
Introducing: You're Saying It Wrong
We're so excited to introduce a new podcast from KMUW. You're Saying It Wrong is hosted by KMUW's Fletcher Powell and features lively conversation with the sister and brother team--Kathy and Ross Petras--who wrote the book You're Saying It Wrong. Really. That's the title. And it features 150 of the most commonly mispronounced words and their tangled histories.
00:4024/08/2018