Is the expression right on! just an outdated relic of hippie talk, or is it making a comeback? The Journal of American Folklore traces it back to at least 1911, but it gained traction among African-Americans and hippies in the ’60s and ’70s, and now...
If you’re not late for something, you could say that you’re in good season. This phrase, which shows up in Noah Webster’s dictionaries from the 1820s, derives from the agricultural state of fruits and vegetables being in season...
Ever been on an airplane when an infant spits the dummy? This Australian slang expression, meaning to throw a fit, comes from the Aussies’ use of the word dummy to mean pacifier or binky. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
The idiom and the horse you rode in on, usually preceded by a far more unfriendly phrase, tends to be directed at someone who’s full of himself and unwelcome to boot. It first pops up in the 1950s, and it’s written on the spine of a book...
Ben, who grew up near Pittsburgh and now lives in Olympia, Washington, grew up saying redd up for straightening a messy room, not so much deep cleaning it. The verb redd means to pick up, tidy up, or clear out, as in gathering books, putting away...
If a fellow’s getting married, you might say he’s getting himself another rib. What slang do you have for getting hitched? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Get Another Rib” Here’s an expression for...
