Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast

This week Shauna and Dan watch the changing of the leaves and ponder the origins of this phrase. Which word is more important to the phrase, turn or leaf? Learn the history of both, plus listen to Dan struggle to say Walter Matthau's name. What does Walter Matthau have to do with this idiom? Find out now on #BunnyTrails! Join the Community www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Find us on Twitter www.twit...

Hematophobes might want to sit this one out. Shauna and Dan delve into several idioms with the word, "blood" in them. Some you'll know, like "Blood on your hands" and "To taste blood". Some you might not know, like the hunting term "In blood" or the fighting term, "To the blood". They even test the waters on a common origin story of "Blood is thicker than water". Check out our Halloween Special fo...

Have you ever heard the phrase thick as inkle-weavers? Yeah, us either. But it turns out to be the basis for a phrase you probably HAVE heard, so join us as Shauna inkle-weaves this fascinating tale! #BunnyTrails Join the Community at www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Head to our website www.bunnytrailspod.com Or catch us on Twitter www.twitter.com/bunnytrailspod  

This week Shauna and Dan take a close look at the phrase 'Steal My Thunder'. Shauna waxes poetic at the intersection of literature and science, while Dan sings and recounts his knowledge of Texas Wars of the 1800s. #BunnyTrails Join the Community www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Get transcripts at www.bunnytrailspod.com Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bunnytrailspod  

This week in the United States is Fire Prevention Week, so we talk a few of our favorite phrases with the word Fire in them, including On Fire, Through Fire, Where's the Fire, and more! #BunnyTrails Join the Community at www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Find links to everything we do at www.bunnytrailspod.com And catch up with us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bunnytrailspod    

Why would anyone want to kill a cat?! This week we re-discover the origins of Curiosity Killed the Cat - originally broadcast in March 2018. Shauna geeks out of scientists who had curiosity get the better of them, Dan gets pedantic about Pliny the Elder, and they both go a little hard on Shakespeare. Check it out! #BunnyTrails sbceym00DBryFsWQYZch Join the Community at www.patreon.com/bunnytrailsp...

Does the phrase "Tip of the Iceberg" really come from the sinking of the Titanic? Or does it have a darker, more sinister root? Should we start a few new segments, like Dictionaries with Dan, or Sociology with Shauna? Why is this episode so alliteration heavy?! Visit us at www.bunnytrailspod.com Become a Patron of the Arts and help keep Bunny Trails on the air at www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Fin...

Is there any truth to the story that Dead Ringer (along with Graveyard Shift and Saved By the Bell) originated out of Victorian England with fears of being buried alive? Follow the amazing story of Dead Ringer through its numerous shifts and turns on this week's #BunnyTrails! Join the Community at www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Get links to everything we do at www.bunnytrailspod.com Follow us on T...

How did we go from a Persian word for 'King' to letting you come back to the next baseball game using your old ticket? Find out here! Plus, Shauna and Dan get a little too close to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory conspiracy, fail hard at naming stamp collectors, and learn about perforation machines from Google.  Originally released April 25, 2018.   Join the Community at www.patreon.com/bunn...

Shauna hits her wit's end this week as she and Dan review the history of this perplexing phrase. Among the discussion: Mary Poppins, Christmas origins, Favorite Animated Films. Also, why couldn't the 1994 Lion King composer travel to South Africa to record animal sounds? Find out now! Join the Community Now! www.patreon.com/bunnytrails.com Or go to our home page www.bunnytrailspod.com      

Shauna hits her wit's end this week as she and Dan review the history of this perplexing phrase. Among the discussion: Mary Poppins, Christmas origins, Favorite Animated Films. Also, why couldn't the 1994 Lion King composer travel to South Africa to record animal sounds? Find out now! Join the Community Now! www.patreon.com/bunnytrails.com Or go to our home page www.bunnytrailspod.com      

We'll answer the age of question, Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Spoiler Alert: You can. Shauna and Dan talk vocal discrimination, materialism early 1900s style, the downside of Martin Van Buren, and the PC vs Mac debate. Dan finds a new favorite song while also lecturing everyone on how while the way we argue has changed, the fact that we are mean to each other when not speaking face to fac...

You ever noticed that sometimes you have trouble relating to another group of people... like you're living "Worlds Apart". Learn how the word 'world' came into use (hint: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... wait... no, this galaxy) & when we started using the phrase Worlds Apart (not as long ago.) Also Dan claims "God" is an alien, while Shauna swoons over Roger Federer. It's one of those...

This week Shauna and Dan travel to Gettysburg to explore Civil War slang. They Acknowledge the Corn after they try to come the gum game, all while staying fit as a fiddle so they can see the elephant. Plus, learn how hardtack was like twinkies! #BunnyTrails

What do you put on your apple pie? Ice cream... that's cool. Cheese... gross. What does this have to do with "Pick Your Brain"? Well, mostly that the origins of 'pick' make this phrase gross. But you'll have to listen to find out why! #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod

Shauna and Dan break down Dead As A Doornail from the origins of door-nails to alternate phrases like dour as a doornail and dead as a herring. A HERRING!!! Plus, sage building wisdom from the writings of Bob Villa.  #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com

Shauna and Dan look at the way-earlier-than-expected origins of the phrase, Bone To Pick With You, which owes its roots with Bone to Gnaw. Shauna makes up a word, probably. And to Dan's dismay, eye-teeth makes a return appearance on the show. All this and more on this episode of #BunnyTrails.  www.bunnytrailspod.com www.patreon.com.bunnytrailspod  

Turns out a dime a dozen wasn't always cheap, even during the height of its usage. Learn how this literal phrase becomes a figuratively epic burn. Plus, Alexander Hamilton, Nikki Grimes, and Snoopy. Also turns out, this idiom is at least 40 years older than everyone seems to think. #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod  

After a wind storm blows through their small town, Shauna and Dan decide to research some of their favorite wind idioms. So throw caution to the wind & try not to break wind while we learn to run like the wind on this week's #BunnyTrails! www.bunnytrailspod.com

This week Shauna and Dan talk about the origins of "Chip Off The Old Block", including when we added the extra 'F' to the phrase. Plus, they get lost down a Bunny Trail of Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel which spawned a bonus episode on www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod . Also, Dan gets confused about crabs... and animals in general. #BunnyTrails

Shauna and Dan share with 5 amazing podcasts, The Story Behind, Lexitecture, Your Brain on Facts, The Endless Knot, and Vocal Fries. They've come over to talk about their favorite idioms and other turns of phrase. #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com   NOTE: There are some curse words used, running from 22:03 to 23:00 in the time stamp. The rest of the episode is safe for work.

The recent marriage of one of the Lagomorphology Interns on Patreon got Shauna and Dan in the mood for wedding idioms. This week it's such favorites as tie the knot, get hitched up, jump the broom, and more! #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com

As the Midwestern United States floats southward, Shauna and Dan tackle the important questions. Like why when it rains, it also pours? And what does that girl with the umbrella on the Morton package have to do with salt? And why would you need dishes when it's raining porridge? These and many other answers on this week's #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod  

This week Shauna and Dan record from a bird paradise, thus setting them both "on cloud nine" on a path that takes them through Cloud Seven, Buddhism, Atmospheric Sciences, and... hills? #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod  

Shauna is on the lam this week, so Dan attempts a solo run. This week Dan re-visit idioms, define 'cant' languages, and discusses Old Norse words all while exploring the fugitive phrase, On The Lam. #BunnyTrails www.bunnytrailspod.com www.patreon.com/bunnytrailspod