My dogs are barking means “My feet hurt” or “My feet are tired.” As early as 1913, cartoonist Tad Dorgan was using the term dogs to mean “feet.” If your “dogs” in this sense are “barking,” it’s as if they’re seeking your attention. This is part of a...
If something’s right on the tee na na, it’s just perfect. This phrase from New Orleans has popped up in myriad songs from the region. One interview with the musician Dr. John suggests that tee na na refers to the rear end, or tuchis...
Busman’s holiday is time off spent doing something closely related to one’s work, not necessarily clocking in on a day off. Tracy in Pleasanton, California, remembers using it to describe her father, who worked for TWA at San Francisco airport and...
postman’s holiday
n.— «Postman’s Holiday (Le facteur en ballade) Ragtime» —by Ezra Read Postman’s Holiday (Le facteur en ballade) (London, United Kingdom) , 1901-1920. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

