There’s a story in the African-American folktale tradition about two tired mules named Pat and Charlie. Here’s a version from American Negro Folktales by Richard Dorson. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Pat and Charlie Folktale” We...
A Vermont family used to tease one of its members with the phrase “sorry, Charlie!” She’s surprised to learn that this catchphrase comes from a long-running series of TV commercials for canned tuna. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Why do we call that painful leg cramp a charley horse? While no good answers are out there, we did find some pretty far-fetched ones, including a story about old night watchmen known as Charlies and their broken-down horses. But the term first pops...
sidewalk alumni n.pl.— «People said he liked green because we’re Irish, but actually he was, and is, a Notre Dame red-hot, one of the well-known sidewalk alumni. Notre Dame’s colors are kelly green and gold, and that was Charlie’s inspiration...

