Appraise The Phrase

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…

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?…

"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…

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…

"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…

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…

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,…

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…

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:…