Appraise The Phrase

This episode of Appraise The Phrase is about the history of the phrase "behind the eight ball". Mario and Twenty are joined by Brandon Miller to unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "behind the eight ball" and it does not come from the game you are picturing. It comes from Kelly pool, invented in Chicago in 1893 by a man named Calistus Mulvaney, who nobody called Calistu...

Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "put all your eggs in one basket" — and it does not start on a farm. The oldest record in English is from 1662, in Giovanni Torriano's The Second Alphabet of Proverbial Phrases. Torriano was an Italian language teacher in London compiling Italian proverbs for English readers, and his entry reads: "to put all one's egg...

On this episode of Appraise The Phrase: Origins of Everyday Expressions... Six dictionaries have no definition for "knocking on the devil's door." We found out why — and then we found the actual door. Where does "knocking on the devil's door" come from, and what does it actually mean? Merriam-Webster, Cambridge, Oxford, Collins, dictionary.com and TheFreeDictionary all come up empty — the first ph...

The man who coined this phrase had already been pilloried and imprisoned for writing satire people took literally. So the next time he went after Parliament, he built himself an escape hatch. On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of “if the shoe fits.” It starts in 1705 with Daniel Defoe — printed in London under the p...

The first person to say “against the grain” was lying. Not figuratively. He was coaching other people to lie, and the phrase was the lie. On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty are joined by Kayla, founder of Kinara Bookstore in Tulsa, to unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of “go against the grain.” It debuts in Shakespeare's Coriolanus around 1607, in t...

Everybody thinks medieval pubs had cups with whistles baked into them. You blew the whistle, you got a refill. It's a great story and somebody made it up. On this episode, Mario and Twenty are joined by Myron to trace the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "wet my whistle." The whistle was never an object. It was your throat; a usage running through Beaumont and Fletcher, where y...

On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty trace the origin of "in the nick of time" and explains how it started out as pudding time. It starts in 1546 with John Heywood's book of proverbs, where arriving "in pudding time" meant showing up right as dinner started — because in the 16th century, pudding was savory, closer to sausage than dessert, and it was served first. Then pudding d...

Everybody knows what it means. Almost nobody can tell you where it came from...and that turns out to be the whole story. #OnTheBackBurner #Etymology #WordOrigins On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of ""on the back burner,"" the youngest phrase this show has ever appraised. Before gas, American stoves didn't have bur...

Everybody pictures a locomotive. Everybody is wrong. On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "train of thought" — a phrase that shows up in Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan in 1651 and John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding in 1690, roughly 165 years before locomotives existed. The railroad imagery in your head? Th...

"Help! I'm in a nutshell!" — Austin Powers already knew this phrase was funnier taken literally. We trace "in a nutshell" back almost 2,000 years to a claim that might just be one of history's oldest fake news stories. Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "in a nutshell." The trail starts with a wild secondhand claim: Pliny the Elder wrote that Cicero on...

Where does ""wet my beak"" actually come from? We trace it from a 19th-century Sicilian grain custom to The Godfather — and yes, we get into He Got Game too. #AppraiseThePhrase #Etymology #WordOrigins #WetMyBeak #TheGodfather Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of ""wet my beak."" The trail starts in 19th-century rural Sicily, where grain farmers were expe...

"Talk is cheap" wasn't born as a comeback — it started as a 1692 sermon line from a Puritan preacher. We trace it from theology to P.T. Barnum's bankruptcy lecture tour to Linus Torvalds' Linux mailing list. On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "talk is cheap." They trace it back to John Bunyan's 1692 devotional "T...

Where did "bigger fish to fry" actually come from — and does it even hold up? We trace the idiom from Cervantes to a 1900s dime novel. On this episode of Appraise The Phrase, Mario and Twenty unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of the idiom "bigger fish to fry." They start with Sancho Panza in Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605–1615), move through English diarist John Evelyn's 1...

In this episode, Mario and Twenty delve into the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, particularly focusing on the phrase 'calling a spade a spade.' They explore its historical context, cultural significance, and the nuances of truth and bluntness in communication.  As the episode continues, Mario and Twenty expose the complexities of language, accountability, and the implications of...

In this episode of the Appraise The Phrase Show, Mario and 20 welcome the Expression Appraisal Team to discuss the GOAT Phrase Tournament. The conversation covers the structure of the tournament, the significance of the phrases, and the cultural implications behind them. The hosts share personal anecdotes and insights, making the discussion both entertaining and informative. Myron, D Lee, Fave, an...

In this final episode of the season, Mario Hines, Twenty, Fave, and Myron explore the origins and meanings of the 13 phrases from Appraise The Phrase Season 5 in preparation for the 5th Annual GOAT Phrase Tournament. They reflect on the significance of phrases like 'when push comes to shove', 'two wrongs don't make a right', and 'the world is your oyster', discussing their cultural implications an...

Join Mario and Twenty as we celebrate a major milestone: ATP's 100th episode! To honor the occasion, our hosts get together in the nation's capitol, Washington DC! They visit the awesome Planet Word Museum, take to the streets to talk to the people of DC, and give a behind the scenes look at the thoughts and ideas that allowed them to get to 100 episodes.   SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube...

In this week's episode, Mario & Twenty are joined by the founder of Mental Peace Performance and host of The Mental Health Playbook, Coach Travis Harmon to explore the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, particularly focusing on the phrase 'practice what you preach.' They discuss the importance of mental health in sports, the historical context of the phrase, and the challenges of ma...

In this week's episode of ATP, Mario and 20 are joined by Child Nutrition Specialist Tierre Jones to explore the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, particularly focusing on the phrase 'Strike While the Iron's Hot.' They discuss its historical context, its relevance in modern life, and personal anecdotes related to loyalty and breaking societal rules. The dialogue is enriched with humor...

In this week's episode of ATP, , Mario Hines and 20 are joined by Natasha Nelson to explore the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, particularly focusing on the phrase 'push the envelope.' Natasha shares her multifaceted identity as a nonprofit owner, educator, and caregiver, emphasizing the importance of positive discipline in parenting and community support. The discussion delves into...

In this week's episode of ATP, Mario Hines and 20 are joined by cofounder of the Creator Spotlight Series and founder of The Monarch Brand, D Lee, to explore the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, particularly focusing on the phrase 'robbing Peter to pay Paul.' They delve into personal reflections on mental capacity, the historical context of the phrase, and its implications in modern l...

On this week's episode of ATP, Mario and Twenty explore the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, focusing on the phrase 'breaking bread.' Joined by guest Sarah Tagger, they discuss the significance of food and travel in connecting people and cultures. The discussion delves into the historical context of the phrase, personal experiences of speaking up for what matters, and the impact of sh...

This week on ATP, Mario and Twenty are joined by Brittany N. Williams to explore the origins and meanings of everyday expressions, particularly focusing on the phrase 'better safe than sorry.' They discuss the importance of humor in serious conversations, share personal anecdotes, and delve into the historical context of phrases, highlighting the role of language in communication. In this engaging...

0:00 The Old Man & The C Student 1:17 The ATP Intro Theme 1:43 Check In: From YN to ON 6:30 That's All I Have To Say About Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks 9:01 Confirm the Meaning: Cambridge Disctionary, Oxford Dictionary, and Dictionary.com 13:18 Unveil The Origin: KJV Jeremiah 13:23 18:17 Story Time: Name One Habit You Refuse to Quit 22:52 Unveil The Origin: John Fitzherbert’s The Boke of...

On this week's episode, Mario and 20 are joined by Expression Appraisal Team member Myron to discuss the origin and interpretations of the phrase 'put your best foot forward.' We talk about the social theories behind the phrase as well as an overlooked linguistical error. Mario shares his high school football recruiting history while Twent discusses parenting and Myron shares a story about advice...