The origin of “the whole shebang,” meaning “the whole thing,” is somewhat mysterious. It may derive from an Irish word, shabeen, which meant “a disreputable drinking establishment,” then expanded to denote other...
Two familiar terms that have inspired lots of bogus etymologies are “dead ringer” and “spitting image.” “Dead ringer” probably comes from horse racing, where a ringer is a horse that may look like other horses in...
If you want to reassure someone, you might say “I’ve got your back.” In Persian, however, to indicate the same thing, you’d say the equivalent of “I have your air,” which is havato daram. This is part of a...
What’s the difference between butter beans, lima beans, and wax beans? The answer depends on where you live and what dialect you speak. This is part of a complete episode.
Oh, those romantic Germans! Among their many terms of endearment is the one that translates as “mouse bear.” This is part of a complete episode.
“Go lemony at” is slang for “get angry.” This is part of a complete episode.