The history of America is buried in a surprising place—the unique phrases we use every day.
Ever wonder why we say "that's a horse of a different color" or "that's for the birds"? We look at the ways that American English has been transformed by animals, food, sports and death.
Who put the jay in "jaywalker" and the bus in "busboy?" In this episode we look at how forms of transportation from horses to trains to cars influenced the common words and phrases we say every day.
Learn about at the ways that American English was transformed by the high seas, the ancient world, the movers and shakers of big business and the news industry.
Ever wonder why, when we "speak off the cuff," we're "flying by the seat of our pants"? We’ll look at the ways that American English has been transformed by the clothes we wear.
In this episode we look at how entertainment from circuses and vaudeville to plays and movies influenced the common words and phrases we say every day.
Ever wonder why a "last ditch effort" rarely involves digging an actual ditch? Or how the army tank got its name? We look at words and phrases from the military, police, aviation and baseball.
We explore how American English has been transformed by the Vikings, the Cold War, computers, music, gambling, and the different meanings we give to the colors of the rainbow.
In this episode, we look at the ways that American English has been transformed by U.S. presidents, the language of sex and romance and good and bad manners.