Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast

Welcome to our whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase. Each week, we delve into the origins of phrases to find out how they came into the English language. We tell the story of how the phrase got from its beginnings to where it is today. Shauna and Dan are two big nerds, so expect some geek culture references, random trivia facts, and loads of laughs!

320 Cut to the Chase 05/20/2026

320 Cut to the Chase Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan ignore the fluff and "cut to the chase". Bonus: BLUF, Photo Albums, and light pop-dance-funk-jazz sounds It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/41324115

319 Turn a Blind Eye 05/13/2026

319 Turn a Blind Eye This week Shauna and Dan turn a blind eye to the problems of the world. Bonus: Gaslighting Leaders (1810s), Unpopular Tariffs (1890s), and USA's Concentration Camps (1940s). Wowsers is it a fun one this week! It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/41164785

318 Belly Up 05/06/2026

318 Belly Up Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Belly Up". Bonus: Fish, Bars, and Backwards Belly Flops It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/41063095

317 Line in the Sand 04/29/2026

317 Line in the Sand This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Line in the Sand". Bonus: Moral Dubiosity, Spanish Conquistadors, and Remembering the Alamo It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/41021135

316 Roger That 04/22/2026

316 Roger That Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan tune into that radio phrase, Roger That. Bonus: Jolly Roger; Victor, Clarence, and Roger; and (in Dan's best droid voice) Roger Roger It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40965880

315 Goody Two Shoes 04/15/2026

315 Goody Two Shoes This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase Goody Two Shoes. Bonus: Nepotism, Romance Tropes, and RPG Maker-style horror genre video games It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40847280

314 Any Port in a Storm 04/08/2026

314 Any Port in a Storm Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan explore, "Any Port in a Storm". Bonus: A coat for your coat, Safe spaces in space, and Not-happy-little-horror Trees It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40756755

313 Pass the Buck 04/01/2026

313 Pass the Buck This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Pass the Buck. Bonus: Presidential Slogans, Murderous Masonic Convocations, and Mark Twain's Miner Mumbo vs Preacher Patois It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40672995

312 Put a Sock in It 03/25/2026

312 Put a Sock in It Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "put a sock in it". Bonus: 90s Action-comedies, Choose Your Own Adventure media, and if the Chief is inclined to jib, tell him to put a sock in it! It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40596405

311 A Watched Pot Never Boils 03/18/2026

311 A Watched Pot Never Boils This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "A Watched Pot Never Boils". Bonus: Nom de plumes, neurodivergent characters from the 1870s, and time being all wimbly wombly It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40502775

RETRO 102 Beware the Ides of March 2026 Edition 03/11/2026

RETRO 102 Beware the Ides of March 2026 Edition RETRO Episode: This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Beware the Ides of March" Which begs the question... what are Ides? Should we beware the Ides of other months? Bonus: Calends, Nones, and Caesars It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40222230

310 Spoonful of Sugar 03/04/2026

310 Spoonful of Sugar Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "Spoonful of Sugar". Bonus: Magical Nannies, Toy Story Fairies, and how the polio vaccine gave us a wonderful song It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40208845

309 Kick the Bucket 02/25/2026

309 Kick the Bucket This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Kick the Bucket". Bonus: Jack & Jill, General Patton, and Dan's favorite terms for dying. CW: This episode contains irreverent talk about death. Please skip if that isn't for you right now. . It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40204865

308 In the Limelight 02/18/2026

308 In the Limelight This week Shauna and Dan explore what it means to be "in the limelight". Bonus: Chemical Reactions, Chess Masters, and Cerebral 70's Lyrics It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/40131350

307 Tickle Your Fancy 02/11/2026

307 Tickle Your Fancy This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Tickle Your Fancy". Bonus: Robin Hood, Puritans, Lucille Ball on Broadway, and the answer to the age-old question... has this phrase always been a double entendre? It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39971320

306 Going AWOL 02/04/2026

306 Going AWOL Quick Quips: This week Shauna and Dan go AWOL. Bonus: Initialisms vs Acronyms, AWOL vs Desertion, and Co-workers vs the Team Lead It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39937105

305 Rest on Your Laurels 01/28/2026

305 Rest on Your Laurels This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "rest on your laurels". Or since the late 1700s, DO NOT rest on your laurels. Bonus: Greek Gods, Roman Funerals, and Swedish Doctors It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39887700

304 Living the Dream 01/21/2026

304 Living the Dream This week Shauna and Dan introduce the Quick Quips format which will be used when a phrase doesn't fit into the regular format. This week, Living the Dream! Bonus: Irony in the 1950s, Irony in the 1990s, and Irony in the 2020s. It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39793645

303 Pull Out All the Stops 01/14/2026

303 Pull Out All the Stops This week Shauna and Dan make every possible effort to explain Pull Out All the Stops. Bonus: Australian Football, Coughing instead of clapping, and playing the pipe organ while Rome burns It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39685975

Season 9 Trailer 01/07/2026

Season 9 Trailer Welcome to Season 9. It seems improbable that you have been joining us for 8 years and over 300 episodes, but here you are! Thanks for being a part of the Bunny Trails community. If you want to take your listening to the next level, join us over at Patreon, You'll get instant free perks like our weekly polls and discussions on what everyone read/watched/played the past week. There are paid perks, too, if you feel so inclined. We'll talk to you next week for Season 9 of Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast! It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2026 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39622015

RETRO 187 At a Crossroads 12/31/2025

RETRO 187 At a Crossroads This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "At a Crossroads", which has a strong association with blues legend Robert Johnson. Bonus: Search engine optimization in the 1700s and cool pet names. Also, how do you pronounce gnocchi? It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39110235

RETRO 258 Christmas Spirit 12/24/2025

RETRO 258 Christmas Spirit It's that time of year! Shauna and Dan deep dive into the holiday phrase, Christmas Spirit. The feeling, not the ghosts. Bonus: Curmudgeonly old men, spirits pitching the Christmas spirit, and the great bagel vs donut debate. It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39109055

RETRO 216 Snowball Effect 12/17/2025

RETRO 216 Snowball Effect This week Shauna and Dan explore the history of the snowball effect. Bonus: Snowpersons, Science Fiction Matriarchs, and Snake Oil Sales Folk. Double Bonus: Air travel tips! It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39066535

RETRO 259 Words Christmas Gave Us with Grace Tierney 12/10/2025

RETRO 259 Words Christmas Gave Us with Grace Tierney This week Shauna and Dan are joined by 'Words Christmas Gave Us' author Grace Tierney to talk about Christmas, Boxing Day (St. Stephens Day if you are in Ireland - Do NOT make that mistake), and fun holiday traditions. Happy holidays from all of us at Bunny Trails! It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39108150

RETRO 136 Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth 12/03/2025

RETRO 136 Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth Shauna and Dan talk about the ancient phrase, never look a gift horse in the mouth. Bonus: What would $200,000 in 1912 be worth today, Can you really tell the age of a horse by looking at its teeth, and the best ice cream flavor It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39064280

RETRO 230 Pie in the Sky 11/26/2025

RETRO 230 Pie in the Sky This week Shauna and Dan explore the surprising origins of pie in the sky. Bonus: Workers rights, Great British actors, and the biggest meal of the day It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39049770

302 Going Whole Hog 11/19/2025

302 Going Whole Hog This week Shauna and Dan go whole hog to bust some myths and find some cookout tips. Bonus: Bucking porkchops, extreme ironing, and how to tell a fiddle from a violin It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/39044220

301 Walking on Eggshells 11/12/2025

301 Walking on Eggshells This week Shauna and Dan tread upon eggs as they explore the modern version of this phrase, walking on eggshells. Bonus: Magical friendship eggs, Dan's sunscreen for the eyes, And Shauna's fear of trial by jury. Also, we are bringing back "sinistrously". It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/38874780

300 Catch More Flies With Honey Than Vinegar 11/05/2025

300 Catch More Flies With Honey Than Vinegar This week Shauna and Dan find out if you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Bonus: Learning new languages, Riding narwhals, and Canada's No. 1 prospector It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/38800735

299 Catnap 10/29/2025

299 Catnap This week Shauna and Dan take a catnap. Bonus: Sleep Momentum, Star Trek IV: Spock and Whales, and THE MODS ARE ASLEEP - EVERYONE POST OWLS! Bonus Bonus: Antnaps It's free to join our Patreon, On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! Shownotes are always available on our website, Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/38745825

Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast

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