America's Secret Slang

In this episode we look at how entertainment from circuses and vaudeville to plays and movies, influenced the common words and phrases we say every day. How did bad actors give us the word "explode," rude actors give us the phrase "to upstage" someone, and superstitious actors give us "break a leg?" How did the circus give us words like "jumbo" and "Siamese twins," and the idea that politicians "jump on the bandwagon?" Why did vaudeville invent "deadpan" humor, "slapstick" comedy and "off color jokes?" And how did the movies give us expression like "cut to the chase" and "cliffhanger?"

In this episode, we look at words from the worlds of the military, police, aviation, and baseball. Ever wonder why a "last ditch effort" rarely involves digging an actual ditch? Or why a temporary worker is hired as a "freelancer"? How did the army tank get its name? Why do we shoot at a bulls-eye, and is it "duct" tape or "duck" tape? When a test pilot "pushes the envelope," what envelope is his pushing? What's the connection between one of America's outlawed sports, and the front of every plane? Words that started on the baseball diamond have spread to aspects of our everyday life. Why is a "southpaw" so named, not just in baseball, but in life? And if you want to see a bunt, the old ball yard isn't the only place for that... All these words and phrases show the richness and depth of our language.  If you just know where to look.

In this episode, we look at the ways that American English has been transformed by the Vikings, the Cold War, computers, music, gambling, and the different meaning we give to the colors of the rainbow. Why is a "red letter day" good, but being "in the red" is bad? Why do we "boot up" a computer? What's a "jackpot" and why do we "hit" it? Did the term "Cold War" really begin in the Middle Ages? And what's the original meaning of the Viking word "thing"? All these terms show the ways that American English has been invigorated by crises from Viking invasions to the threat of nuclear war, and inspired by the colors we see, the music hear...and the money we lose in bets. And they prove that when it comes to our unique American language, we speak our history every day. If you just know where to look.

In this episode, we look at the ways that American English has been transformed by American presidents, by the language of sex and romance, by good and bad manners. We'll also explore how easy it is to insult people of different groups without even realizing it. Did you know who invented the phrase Founding Fathers, and what the Founding Fathers originally called themselves? Or how American presidents popularized terms like "three martini lunch," "lunatic fringe" and "keep the ball rolling?" When it comes to insults, did you know that the cheer "hip hip hurray" was originally anti-Semitic, "hooligan" was anti-Irish, and the phrase "in cahoots" was anti-French? When it comes to sex, how did a diet of meat give us the word "mating," why do young men "sow their wild oats," and why is the word "hysterical" an insult to women? And when it comes to manners, we'll explore the strange roots of words like "posh," "snob," "stuck up" and even "hello" and "goodbye."