diff --git a/pandas/core/series.py b/pandas/core/series.py
index 6a2a30a3efa17..023819518dc00 100644
--- a/pandas/core/series.py
+++ b/pandas/core/series.py
@@ -1138,7 +1138,6 @@ def _set_value(self, label, value, takeable: bool = False):
             else:
                 self.index._engine.set_value(self._values, label, value)
         except (KeyError, TypeError):
-
             # set using a non-recursive method
             self.loc[label] = value
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_common.py b/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_common.py
index 097e83d93ee71..4c917b9bb42d2 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_common.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_common.py
@@ -675,6 +675,8 @@ def test__get_dtype(input_param, result):
 )
 def test__get_dtype_fails(input_param, expected_error_message):
     # python objects
+    # 2020-02-02 npdev changed error message
+    expected_error_message += f"|Cannot interpret '{input_param}' as a data type"
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match=expected_error_message):
         com._get_dtype(input_param)
 
diff --git a/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_dtypes.py b/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_dtypes.py
index fddd6239df309..4475be12f3ff8 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_dtypes.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/dtypes/test_dtypes.py
@@ -43,7 +43,12 @@ def test_equality_invalid(self):
         assert not is_dtype_equal(self.dtype, np.int64)
 
     def test_numpy_informed(self):
-        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="data type not understood"):
+        # npdev 2020-02-02 changed from "data type not understood" to
+        #  "Cannot interpret 'foo' as a data type"
+        msg = "|".join(
+            ["data type not understood", "Cannot interpret '.*' as a data type"]
+        )
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError, match=msg):
             np.dtype(self.dtype)
 
         assert not self.dtype == np.str_