John in Omaha, Nebraska, wonders about a phrase that encourages someone to attend an event or risk being left out or feeling uncool: be there or be square. Don’t fall for the fake etymology about people wearing boxes on their heads! Ditto for...
John in Dallas, Texas, wonders about the phrase Hail fellow well met. This expression combines two old phrases. The first is hail, fellow!, once a warm casual greeting. To be hail fellow with someone meant “to be on friendly terms with”...
shut up and color v. phr.— «Field perceives that they are being deceived. possibly being used as guinea pigs, treated like idiots and told to due nothing more than shut up and color (or in this case take the vaccine).» —“Adverse...