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!

231 Law of the Jungle / It's a Jungle Out There 04/17/2024

231 Law of the Jungle / It's a Jungle Out There This week Shauna and Dan delve into two similar phrases, Law of the Jungle and It's a Jungle Out There. And yes, we talk about Kipling and Disney again. Bonus: Dan becomes an art critic. Shauna fails to choose a fruit. Remember to drink respectfully. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30831043

230 Pie in the Sky 04/10/2024

230 Pie in the Sky This week Shauna and Dan explore the surprising origins of pie in the sky. From workers rights to great British actors this episode has tons of cool facts! Bonus: Biggest meal of the day Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30742663

RETRO 98 Calm Before The Storm 04/03/2024

RETRO 98 Calm Before The Storm This week Shauna and Dan take a look at the Calm Before The Storm. Then quickly learn there is SO MUCH MORE to this phrase! Join them on a whimsical adventure to explore the calm before and after the tempest. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30626563

229 Tough Nut to Crack 03/27/2024

229 Tough Nut to Crack This week Shauna and Dan look into the phrase, a Tough Nut to Crack. Dan gets super confused about the history of window blinds and then does a quick Aaron Neville impression. Bonus: The best Superman actors Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30535808

228 Fly Off the Handle 03/20/2024

228 Fly Off the Handle This week Shauna and Dan try not to Fly Off the Handle as the dig into old dictionaries and early uses of the phrase. Bonus: Maine becomes a State, Buddy Rich, and our favorite pen colors. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30426368

227 Speak of the Devil 03/13/2024

227 Speak of the Devil This week Shauna and Dan decide to Speak of the Devil. Or sometimes, Talk of the Devil. Which do you say when someone you were just talking about shows up? Bonus: The devil has rattling bones and Dan hates horror games. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30327463

226 Whole Kit and Caboodle 03/06/2024

226 Whole Kit and Caboodle This week Shauna and Dan look into the whole kit and caboodle. Interesting, both of the phrases existed by themselves before they made common cause to outlast many of their rival phrases. Bonus: Make-up tackleboxes, planting people, and clowns! Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30230093

225 Spit Into the Wind 02/28/2024

225 Spit Into the Wind This week Shauna and Dan talk about spitting into the wind. Gross. Fortunately, there is an early phrase that is less gross. Bonus: Our thanks to archivists, language researchers, and other professional word nerds. Also, combatants fighting the invisible opponents. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30121288

RETRO 105 Crossing the Rubicon 02/21/2024

RETRO 105 Crossing the Rubicon RETRO: This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase Crossing the Rubicon. Dan takes a guess at the origin of this phrase, but can't even get the right "ancient crosser of things". It's a mix of Crash Course World History and etymological fun on this week's Bunny Trails! Don't forget to be awesome! Originally aired March 24, 2021. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/30037073

224 When Pigs Fly 02/14/2024

224 When Pigs Fly This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "when pigs fly". This one comes to English from Latin, and was quite a bit longer than the phrase we use today. Bonus: Reese's Peanut Butter Blobs and other holiday candy. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29923103

223 Not My Cup of Tea 02/07/2024

223 Not My Cup of Tea This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "not my cup of tea". Bonus: The silk road, black drag culture, and the age old question: Sunrise or Sunset? Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29776148

222 Pecking Order 01/31/2024

222 Pecking Order This week Shauna and Dan discuss the origins of the phrase Pecking Order. Bonus: Dan shares a secret, Shauna rolls a Nat 20 on charisma, and Dan gives you a new way to read Lord of the Flies. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29707138

221 Pins and Needles 01/17/2024

221 Pins and Needles This week Shauna and Dan explore what it means to be on pins and needles. Bonus: Shauna reviews tiny artwork while Dan fawns over children's books. Plus which would you rather be, a cheerleader or the mascot? Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29499453

220 Hell Freezes Over 01/10/2024

220 Hell Freezes Over This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "hell freezes over". We start with the concept of hell and how it became to be known as an eternal, fiery place. Then we look at all the interesting ways this phrase has been used. Bonus: Dan hates speedboats, Shauna stans Doré, and we answer the question of bad hair cut or bad dye job. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29369013

219 Cold Feet 01/03/2024

219 Cold Feet Welcome to our 7th season of Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast! This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase cold feet. Shauna gets cold feet on the subject of corns while Dan finally learns what corns even are. Bonus: The great onion ring vs fry debate. All Rights Reserved, 2024 /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29314253

218 Spam Messages 12/27/2023

218 Spam Messages This week Shauna and Dan learn why we call those pesky emails spam messages. Bonus: The first spam messages (way older that you might think) and why Hormel's canned meat is called SPAM. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29012728

RETRO 92 Christmas Spirit and other Christmastime Phrases 12/20/2023

RETRO 92 Christmas Spirit and other Christmastime Phrases We are digging into the archives this week to bring you the Christmas Spirit. Plus we talk *No Spoilers* about the new Christmas musical, Spirited. Then we jump into a RETRO episode on Christmas phrases, originally released December 23, 2020. This week we get into the Christmas Spirit while talking about the Christmas Blues. New plan, let's talk about both! Learn about some of your favorite holiday idioms. Plus, the origins of "White Elephant" gift exchanges. It's all here for your holiday enjoyment on Bunny Trails! Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28675848

217 A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss 12/13/2023

217 A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss This week Shauna and Dan discover why a rolling stone gathers no moss. Bonus: Dan confuses moss for algae, Shauna forgets about Mick Jagger, and introverts unite. Also, did you know a rolling stone gathers no potato chips? Do with that information what you will. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/29029448

216 Snowball Effect 12/06/2023

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! /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28922178

215 Easy as Pie 11/29/2023

215 Easy as Pie This week Shauna and Dan make a podcast easy as pie. Though Dan points out that making a pie from scratch isn't always that easy. Bonus: The rankine scale, dream interpretations, and doodlewash. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28744428

214 Ticker Tape Parade 11/22/2023

214 Ticker Tape Parade This week Shauna and Dan celebrate life with a ticker tape parade! What is ticker tape? When was the first ticker tape parade? Bonus: Bad budgets and pool parties. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28730498

213 Birds of a Feather 11/08/2023

213 Birds of a Feather This week Shauna and Dan review why birds of a feather tend to flock together. Bonus: Pictures of cats before the internet, Dodos in the magical world, and Dan gets lost in armed robbery. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28481018

212 Stab in the Back 11/01/2023

212 Stab in the Back Shauna and Dan explore the treachery of being stabbed in the back. Bonus: Ancient Greeks, World War II, and the most hated household cleaning jobs. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28468466

211 With Flying Colors 10/25/2023

211 With Flying Colors This week Shauna and Dan pass the podcasting test "with flying colors"! We explore flags, heralds, banners, and even liveries to find the origins of this phrase. Bonus: Synonyms with Roget, Crowsnests with Ensign Crusher, and Georgian Portia's with Miss Ferguson. #BunnyTrails Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28402847

210 As Hungry as a Horse 10/18/2023

210 As Hungry as a Horse This week Shauna and Dan decide if they are as hungry as a horse or if they are so hungry they could eat a horse. Better question, would they eat the saddle, too? Bonus: Hungry like a wolf, oxen, hawk, and farmhand. #BunnyTrails /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28313675

209 The Last Straw 10/11/2023

209 The Last Straw This week Shauna and Dan reach the last straw. The final straw. The straw that broke the camel's back. Also, apparently, of feathers and horses. Bonus: Alliterative anthropomorphic animals, Habitual nuns, and a request of xkcd. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28271135

208 Act of Congress 10/04/2023

208 Act of Congress This week Shauna and Dan go back to school to learn a history of the United States legislative bodies to help understand the idiomatic phrase, Act of Congress. Spoiler: The USA is predictable throughout its entire history so far. #BunnyTrails Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28203830

RETRO 142: Jump the Shark 09/27/2023

RETRO 142: Jump the Shark RETRO: Shauna and Dan dig into the origins of Jump the Shark while documenting the phrases shift from TV failures to a plethora of topics. As a bonus, there are shows that ran for years after supposedly jumping the shark and other shows that jumped the shark twice! Despite the negative phrase it's all Happy Days on this week's #BunnyTrails Originally aired January 26, 2022. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28127702

207 Fighting Tooth and Nail 09/20/2023

207 Fighting Tooth and Nail This week Shauna and Dan delve into the history books to learn about Fighting Tooth and Nail, including when we started adding word like "fight" in front of the more common "tooth and nail". Bonus: Hipster Blacksmiths, Cultist Communions, and the best Stage Musicals. #BunnyTrails Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28071636

206 Bite the Bullet 09/13/2023

206 Bite the Bullet This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase bite the bullet. We discover the predecessor phrase and debunk several origination myths for this one. Bonus: Valets, Sepoys, and Artificial Intelligence. Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved /episode/index/show/bunnytrailspod/id/28005669

Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast

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