Why do people say They don’t geehaw to mean “They don’t get along”? Geehaw, occasionally spelled jeehaw, comes from the calls people use to drive a team of animals, such as oxen, mules, horses, or sled dogs, gee being an...
There’s no evidence that anyone named Sam Hill inspired the phrase What in the Sam Hill? It’s almost certainly just a euphemism for What in the hell? This is part of a complete episode.
Chris from Kittery, Maine, wonders about the colloquial expression no sirree, Bob! or yes sirree, Bob!, which is an emphatic way of saying “definitely not!” or “no way!” The sirree (sometimes spelled with one r, as siree) in...
whoa up v.— «Stewart couldn’t “whoa up” his car, as they say in NASCAR, and rammed into Sadler.» —“Busch smokes competition to win at Dover” by Bill Fleischman Daily News (Philadelphia...
march out of one’s feet v. phr.— «We received a cell phone photo message from Duncan. It was a picture of his feet. Silver dollar sized blisters had formed and torn away all over both feet. Blood had soaked his socks and boots. He had, in...
doughnut team n.— «An outfit strong on the wings, but weak at centre is sometimes called a doughnut team—you know, nothing in the middle.» —“Speculation for 2010 Team Canada begins” by Jean Lefebvre National...