Brent from San Diego asks why the expression “keep your eyes peeled” uses peeled, and whether it has anything to do with birds of prey opening their eyes. The phrase is spelled P-E-E-L, and its likely 19th-century sense is simply that the eyelids...
worm grunting n.— «Earthworms are sensitive to low-frequency vibrations. These drive some types of earthworms to the surface, and in the southeastern US is used in a practice known as “worm grunting,” by scraping a piece of metal on...
“You’re the apple of my eye” is an ancient term of endearment. Martha explains the connections between apples, eyes, and other precious things. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The Apple of My Eye” Hi...
BOPSA n.— «In media terms, however, this isn’t the most riveting television. In fact, they have a name for it. It’s called “BOPSA” (Bunch Of People Sitting Around). In this case, sitting around and voting for our next...
well n.— «Amsler was “in the well,” a term used to describe when a contestant comes off the bull on the inside of a spin, when the bull’s face and Amsler’s face collided with one another. He was only 16 years old at the time...
sidewalk alumni n.pl.— «Fordham and St. Mary’s, the “Irish” of the east and west coasts, are to meet in their annual football game at the Polo Grounds this afternoon and the sidewalk alumni will be there to the last man...