A podcast that takes a look at the origin and history of some of those gems of language, idioms, and then goes from there.
…
continue reading
1
Cycling Idioms: Along for the ride; Backpedal; Freewheeling; Take off the training wheels; Fifth wheel or third wheel; Shift gears; Spin one's wheels; Back in the saddle; Handlebar moustache;
18:37
18:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:37
Woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle; Just like riding a bike; Soft-pedal; Cyclopath
…
continue reading
1
Stick Idioms: Short end of the stick; Get hit with the stupid stick; Fiddlesticks!; Wrong end of the stick; Stick in the mud; Beat them off with a stick;
15:22
15:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:22
Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick; Speak softly and carry a big stick; More XYZ than you can shake a stick at;.
…
continue reading
1
Moon Idioms: Moonstruck; Moonshine; Once in a blue moon; Moonlight; Hang the moon; Shoot for the moon; Mooning away, over, around, or about;
24:16
24:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:16
Over the moon; The moon is made of green cheese; Love you to the moon and back; Shoot the moon; Moonshot; Ask for the moon; Moon on a stick; Cast beyond the moon; Barking at the moon; Harvest moon; Blood moon; Moon-faced; Moongazing
…
continue reading
1
Pots and Pans Idioms, Part II: Pot calling the kettle black; Melting pot; Stirring the pot; Jackpot; Crackpot; Different kettle of fish; Tempest in a teapot; Keep the pot boiling; Potluck
19:31
19:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:31
Potpourri; Perpetual stew; Potlatch; Pot of gold at the end of a rainbow; Tosspot; Fusspot; Honeypot; Sexpot; Pretty kettle of fish
…
continue reading
1
Pots and Pans Idioms, Part I: Flash in the pan; Out of the frying pan into the fire; Pan out; Pan over; Pan as criticism; Deadpan; Going to pot; Potshot
13:04
13:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:04
Pothunter; Down the pan; Down the toilet; Cast iron skillets
…
continue reading
1
US President Idioms, Part 6: Bloviation; Normalcy; America First; Lightning in a bottle; Americanism; Founding Fathers
20:16
20:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:16
Dollar Diplomacy; Panda Diplomacy; Writing history with lightning; Bottled lightning; THE Congress
…
continue reading
1
Gauntlets, Gamuts, and Gloves: Run the gauntlet; Run the gamut; Throw down the gauntlet; Take up the gauntlet; Step into the breach; Take off the gloves; Rule with a velvet glove
13:29
13:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:29
Once more unto the breach; More honored in the breach than the observance; Drop the gloves; Gloves are off; Iron fist in a velvet glove; Next into the breach; Run the gantlet
…
continue reading
1
Foreign Idioms: Neither the fuzz nor the feather; When the crawdad whistles on the mountain; Boondocks; Thresh empty straw; Once upon a time and other fairy tale endings
17:41
17:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:41
Ни пуха ни пера, Break a leg; Когда рак на горе свистнет, When pigs fly; Делать из мухи слона, Make a mountain out of a molehill; Не в своей тарелке, Not in one’s element, or like a fish out of water; Первый блин всегда комом; Prvi se mačići u vodu bacaju; Bogu iza nogu; Ne traži dlaku u jajetu; Mlatiti praznu slamu, Beat a dead horse; There’s no c…
…
continue reading
1
Sick Idioms and Slang: Under the weather; Green around the gills; To turn a blind eye; Frog in the throat; Feeling groggy; Off-kilter; Out-of-sorts; Down in the dumps; Sick as a dog
17:39
17:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:39
Slang: Bussin'; Slappin; Slay; 'Sup; Aight; Word; Hella; Shiznit; The bomb; Booyah; Oh snap; As if; Not!; Whatever!
…
continue reading
1
Veggie Idioms: Can't squeeze blood from a turnip; Fell off the turnip truck; Cornfed; Corny; Carrot-and-stick; Like peas and carrots; Two peas in a pod
16:10
16:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:10
Can't get blood from a stone; Fresh off the boat; Cabbage-head; Turnip-head; I don't boil my cabbage twice; I'm not so green as cabbage looking; Cornbread; Cornball; Hokey; Easy as shelling peas; Thick as pea soup
…
continue reading
1
Tool Idioms: Wrench in the works; Monkeywrench; If all you have's a hammer everything's a nail; Hit the nail on the head; Go at it hammer and tongs; Bring the hammer down
14:34
14:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:34
Use a sledgehammer to crack a nut; Throw a spanner in the works; Bodies upon the gears; Maslow's hammer; Between the hammer and the anvil; Between a rock and a hard place; Drop the hammer on; Go under the hammer; Dumb as a bag of hammers; Dumb as a box of rocks; Not the sharpest tool in the shed; Sledgehammer argument; Poor craftsman that blames hi…
…
continue reading
1
Coincidences and Rubbing Idioms: There's the rub; Shuffle off this mortal coil; Rub it in; Rub someone the wrong way; Rub salt in someone's wound; Rub elbows with; Rub off on
17:38
17:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:38
Rub shoulders with; Rub your hands with glee; Rub of the green; Rub out; Rub someone's nose in it; Ruffle someone's feathers
…
continue reading
1
Bean Idioms: Spill the beans; Bean counter; Doesn't amount to a hill of beans; Full of beans; Cool beans; Politics ain't bean bag
14:58
14:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:58
Old bean; Bean time; Bean wagon; Not have a bean; String bean; Beanpole; Bean head; Not know beans; Boring as beans
…
continue reading
1
Heel Idioms: Well-heeled; Down-at-the-heels; Achilles' heel; Dig in one's heels; Bring someone to heel; Under the heel; Take to one's heels; Show one's heels; Kick up your heels; Cool one's heels;
17:59
17:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:59
Out at elbows; Out at heels; Drag your heels; Set back on your heels; At someone's heels; Hard on someone's heels; Hot on someone's heels; Under the thumb; Show a clean pair of heels; Cop a heel; Spin on one's heels; Turn on your heels; Fall head over heels in love; Head over heels in debt; Real heel…
…
continue reading
1
Hat Idioms, Part II: I'll eat my hat; Feather in your cap; Tip of the hat; Doff one's hat; Pass the hat; With hat in hand; Hat trick; At the drop of a hat; All hat and no cattle
16:02
16:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:02
Hats off; Old hat; All sizzle and no steak; All bark and no bite
…
continue reading
1
Hat Idioms: Mad as a hatter; Hang one's Hat; To throw your hat into the ring; Keep something under your hat; Put your name in the hat; Put your thinking cap on; Dunce cap
18:44
18:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:44
Hang up one's hat; Tin foil hat; Hang on to your hat; To wear more than one hat; Pooh-bah
…
continue reading
1
Egg Idioms: Egg on your face; Egghead; Baker's dozen; Egg someone on; Nest egg; Can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs; Good egg; Go suck an egg
20:44
20:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:44
Bad egg; Don't put all your eggs in one basket; Egg money; Bald as an egg; Which came first, the chicken or the egg; Over-egg the pudding; Egging; Teaching your grandma to suck eggs; Rotten egg; Last one in is a rotten egg; Can't boil an egg; Can't unboil an egg.
…
continue reading
1
Smoke Idioms: Smoke and mirrors; Put that in your pipe and smoke it; Blowing smoke; Smoking gun; Where there's smoke there's fire; Get smoked; Pipe-dream
17:24
17:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:24
Blowing smoke up someone's ass; Smoke the peace pipe; Smokescreen; Holy smoke(s); What have you been smoking
…
continue reading
1
Duck Idioms: Lucky duck; Sitting duck; Dead duck; Lame duck; Duck and cover; Have one's ducks in a row; Duck soup; Like a duck to water; Milkshake duck
16:55
16:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:55
Since one was knee-high to a duck; Lovely weather for ducks; Like water off a duck's back; Duck face; If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, then it must be a duck.
…
continue reading
1
Bird Idioms: Birds of a feather; Bird in the hand; A little bird told me; Sing like a bird; Boobird; Odd bird; Rare bird; Kill two birds with one stone
17:27
17:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:27
Flip the bird; Tough old bird; Yardbird; Snowbird; Anapodoton; Black swan
…
continue reading
1
Blade Idioms: Sword of Damocles; Hang by a thread; Fall on one's sword; Beat swords into plowshares; Saber-rattling; Bury the hatchet; Hatchet job;
15:48
15:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:48
Take up the hatchet; Hatchet man; Hatched-faced; Scalpel, not an ax
…
continue reading
1
White idioms: White elephant; white knight; white lies; white knuckle; white hat hacker
15:08
15:08
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:08
White as a ghost; white as a sheet; White Christmas
…
continue reading
1
Cutting Idioms, part 2: Cut it out; Cut out for; Work cut out for; Cut from whole cloth; Cut a deal; Cut against the grain; Cut the cord; Cut to ribbons; Cut corners;Cut both ways; Cut it with a knife
15:19
15:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:19
Cut a figure; Knock it off; Cut a check; Double-edged sword
…
continue reading
Rock the boat; bully pulpit; mollycoddle; muckraking; pull yourself up by the bootstraps; lunatic fringe; loose cannon
…
continue reading
1
Cutting Idioms: Cut one's teeth; Cut of someone's jib; Cut the mustard; Cut a rug; Cut to the quick; Cut and run; Fish or cut bait; Cut a wide swathe
15:33
15:33
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:33
Cut off your nose to spite your face; Unkindest cut; Cut to the bone; Cut and dried
…
continue reading
1
Gem Idioms: Hidden Gem; Diamond in the rough; The world is your oyster; Clutch one's pearls
17:00
17:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:00
A cut above; Casting pearls before swine; Pearl of great price; Pearls of wisdom; Idaho the gem state
…
continue reading
1
Bell Idioms: Ring in the New Year; Death knell; For whom the bell tolls; Ring a bell; Be there with bells on;
17:24
17:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:24
You can't unring a bell; Ring somebody's bell; Saved by the bell; Wear the cap and bells; All the bells and whistles; Sound as a bell.
…
continue reading
1
Silver idioms: Silver lining; Silver-tongued; Silver bullet; Magic bullet; 30 pieces of silver; Silver screen
15:38
15:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:38
Sell the family silver; Sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage; Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth; Serve something on a silver platter.
…
continue reading
Spoils system; cronyism; strange bedfellows; pork-barrel; To the victor go the spoils; Buffalo x 8; Kid gloves.
…
continue reading
1
Thanksgiving Idioms: Talk turkey; Go cold turkey; Gobble up; To be stuffed, etc.
18:00
18:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:00
Gobble, gobble; Eat like a bird; Stuffed shirt; The rest is gravy; Ride the gravy train; As American as apple pie.
…
continue reading
1
Goose idioms: Wild goose chase; One's goose is cooked; Goosebumps, etc.
22:03
22:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:03
Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs; Golden goose; Goose up; Goose-stepping; Loose as a goose, loosey goosey; Silly goose; Take a gander
…
continue reading
Two-faced; Contronyms; Sugar-coated; Demonyms; Michigander; House divided, Illeism; Come in handy; Corporation; Do the math.
…
continue reading
Keep the ball rolling; Booze; Peculation, defalcation, and condign; 54-50 or fight!; Bed of roses; Twiddling one's thumbs; Dark horse; Confirmed bachelor.
…
continue reading
Ok!! Washington, Jefferson, administration, nip it in the bud, squatters, gag rule, worth one's salt etc.
…
continue reading
1
Cat idioms, Part III: Raining cats and dogs
15:55
15:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:55
Cat on a hot tin roof; Pussyfooting; Cat burglar; Bell the cat; Scaredy cat; Copycat; Catnap; Dead cat bounce; Fat cat
…
continue reading
1
Cat idioms, Part II: There's more than one way to skin a cat
18:27
18:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:27
Curiosity killed the cat; A cat's nine lives; Let the cat out of the bag; Not enough room to swing a cat, etc.
…
continue reading
1
Cat idioms, Part I: Catcalls, hepcats, cats that swallowed the canary, etc.
18:50
18:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:50
The cat's pajamas, looked what the cat dragged in, caterwauling, cathouses and more.
…
continue reading
1
"Red" idioms: red herring; caught red-handed; red-blooded; red meat; red-baiting; red tape and more.
24:43
24:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:43
In addition to the above, looks at idioms like better dead than red, red alert, raise a red flag, see red, not one red cent, red-letter days, roll out the red carpet, and paint the town red.
…
continue reading
1
To tide one over, and other "tide" idioms
17:05
17:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:05
Takes a look at idioms involving "tide," as well at the tide that shows up in words like yuletide and tidings. Also visits the topics of tidal power and the moon's wobble.
…
continue reading
Looks at idioms involving the act of "tying," as well as "cat got your tongue," typography, and knots.
…
continue reading
This second episode looks at idioms such as "pulling out all the stops," "bats in the belfry," "dead ringer," and more, and features a Josh Ritter lyric, pipe organs, and coffins.
…
continue reading
Looks at idioms like "full of vim and vigor," "long in the tooth," and "playing hooky," as well as digging a hole for a trampoline.
…
continue reading