For at least three centuries, declaring I’ll eat my hat! has indicated that the speaker is so certain they’re right, that if they’re not, they’re willing to swallow their chapeau. Variations of this phrase include I’ll eat my boots, I’ll eat my cap, I’ll eat my bonnet, and I’ll eat my hat and then swallow my boots. The phrase I’ll eat my hat! has parallel expressions in a variety of languages, including French, Dutch, Italian, Russian, and Scandinavian languages. In German, a similar expression means “I’ll devour a broom,” while in Traditional Chinese, you can assert the same idea with a phrase that translates as “If I’m wrong, I’ll give you my head.” This is part of a complete episode.
An 1875 dictionary of the Sussex dialect from southeastern England gives a colorful glimpse of life there in those days. A beever is “an 11 o’clock luncheon.” In parts of Sussex, a ladybug is variously known as a Bishop Barnaby, a fly-golding, or...
A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, listener says when he was growing up, his family used the word schmutz as a verb. For example, when one parent reminded the other to apply sunscreen to the youngsters, they might say Make sure you schmutz the kids...
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