TWTS: Staving off questions about "staffs" and "staves"

If you have one staff, as in a stick, and then you add another staff, you now run into the question of whether you have two staffs or two staves. At least, that’s the question that popped into our heads when listener Nadia Luis asked us about the verb “stave off.”

TWTS: Prior to adding "to," no one cares about "previous" and "prior"

The words "previous" and "prior" are synonyms and don’t get much attention from language commentators. That is, they don’t get much attention unless “to” is part of the mix.

TWTS: All available uses of "avail"

We do things more often "to no avail" than "of no avail." These constructions have been on our minds since a listener asked about the relationship between "to avail one's self" and "to no avail." As it’s our habit to make ourselves available for such inquiries, we decided to take a closer look.

Shining a light on the past tense of "shine"

If you shine your shoes today, tomorrow you’ll be able to say you shined your shoes. That’s pretty straightforward, but things get tricky when you substitute “light” for “shoes.”

TWTS: When it comes to "lie" and "lay," even English professors get confused

Even for speakers who feel solid about the distinction between "lie" and "lay," they may lose that distinction when "low" is added to the mix. Recently, one of Professor Anne Curzan's colleagues texted her to say they wouldn't be attending a meeting. They said they were trying to finish an article …

TWTS: Can't take our eyes off "off of"

The 1967 song "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was one of Frankie Valli's biggest hits. It's been covered by dozens of artists, including rapper Lauryn Hill. Listeners of a certain age probably remember Heath Ledger's interpretation in the 1999 romantic comedy "10 Things I Hate About You." This song is…

TWTS: Wet your whistle, not your appetite

When we wet our whistle at a bar, we have a "wh" in whistle but not in "wet." That fact spurred an argument in the comments section of an article we found last week. The author had used the phrase "wet your whistle," but some commenters argued it should've been "whet your whistle.

TWTS: The not-so prominent differences between "eminent" and "preeminent"

An eminent person can also be a prominent person. That same person can also preeminent in their field. A self-described “confused” listener recently asked us whether there’s a difference between an eminent scientist and a preeminent scientist. And where does "prominent" fit in? As Professor Anne Cu…

TWTS: Sometimes you've just got to say "have got to"

This week, we have got to address a question a listener recently sent us about whether there's anything wrong with saying "have got to" instead of just "have to." The short answer is no. However, there people are who see "have got to" as redundant, and that's why this gets a little complicated.

TWTS: We can't answer each question, but we appreciate "each and every" one

An evening of drinking beer and talking about grammar? Yes please. Last week, we were thrilled to dust off our pint glasses and host another Grammar Night for Michigan Radio's Issues & Ale @ Home series. Grammar Night is always a lot of fun, and we get a lot of great questions. We can't get to them…