Whole 9 Yards: Idioms, Etymology, & Origins

Whole 9 Yards: Idioms, Etymology, & Origins

Whole 9 Yards is a weekly podcast that will simultaneously educate, astonish, and amuse. Listen while we share equivocal research about the origin of words, phrases, and idioms we use every day. From the team at Big Science Pods, we bring you the whole 9 yards, the entire kit and caboodle, the whole shebang of this quick, entertaining look at our language and the history therein. Learn why we call New York "The Big Apple," what "red-handed" REALLY means and why sometimes people are "happy as a clam." So, let's cut to the chase, if you jump on the bandwagon now, the first 100 subscribers will be entered to win a Big Science Snuggie. Have a question about an idiom? Wanna drop us a line because you think we’re funny... or, not? Think we’re mistaken about any information we’ve shared? Hit us up at heyyou@whole9yards.org. We’re waiting with bated breath!

Episodes

August 8, 2025 45 mins

Episode 278: Jay & Ray chow down on some old food-ioms. - Encore

  • chow
  • nosh
  • spam
  • barbecue

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

Mark as Played

Episode 277: Jay & Ray overcome some challenging idioms. - Encore

  • hit by a ton of bricks
  • bogged down
  • put a pin in it
  • the devil is in the details

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a ...

Mark as Played
July 18, 2025 47 mins

Episode 276: Jay & Ray get physical with a few old idioms. -Encore

  • cahoots
  • jump on the bandwagon
  • fight tooth and nail
  • stumped

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove...

Mark as Played
July 11, 2025 36 mins

Episode 275: Jay & Ray are doing great things with old idioms this week. - Encore

  • eureka
  • mojo
  • tickled pink
  • kvelling

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at ...

Mark as Played
July 4, 2025 38 mins

Episode 274: Jay & Ray randomly pick some old idioms. - Encore

  • wheelhouse
  • with flying colors
  • leave in the lurch
  • waylay

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad ...

Mark as Played
June 27, 2025 34 mins

Episode 273: Jay & Ray get a body of old idioms. - encore

  • pull your leg
  • rule of thumb
  • on the arm
  • play it by ear

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigs...

Mark as Played
June 20, 2025 42 mins

Episode 272: Jay & Ray have some old idioms. - Encore

  • rub you the wrong way
  • shake a stick at
  • nothing to sneeze at
  • lick and a promise

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the...

Mark as Played
June 13, 2025 30 mins

Episode 271: Jay & Ray cash in on some old money idioms. - Encore

  • filthy rich
  • foot the bill

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

Mark as Played
June 6, 2025 29 mins

Episode 270: Jay & Ray tell a few cock and bull stories. - Encore

  • eat your heart out
  • cock and bull story

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigscienc...

Mark as Played
May 30, 2025 33 mins

Episode 269: Jay & Ray get a few old idioms running again. - Encore

  • cheese it
  • jalopy

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

...

Mark as Played
May 23, 2025 31 mins

Episode 268: Jay & Ray have some fun with old idioms. - Encore

  • dry humor
  • jaunty

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

some ...

Mark as Played
May 16, 2025 30 mins

Episode 267: Jay & Ray call a few old idioms back on the carpet. - Encore

  • called on the carpet
  • burn the midnight oil 

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad...

Mark as Played
May 9, 2025 32 mins

Episode 266: Jay & Ray random up some idioms. -Encore

  • canoodle
  • druthers 

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

some of the ...

Mark as Played
May 2, 2025 29 mins

Episode 265: Jay & Ray randomize some old idioms. - Encore

  • clear as a bell
  • upset the apple cart

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, &  FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.co...

Mark as Played
April 25, 2025 27 mins

Episode 264: Jay & Ray come up empty with some old idioms. - Encore

  • zilch
  • nada

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, & Facebook.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

s...

Mark as Played
April 18, 2025 43 mins

Episode 263: Jay & Ray meet a few people idioms. - Encore

  • runaround sue
  • lass
  • hillbilly
  • in a jiffy

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, & Facebook.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemus...

Mark as Played
April 11, 2025 64 mins

Episode 262: Jay & Ray get to direct a few movie idioms. - Encore

  • jump the shark
  • read between the lines
  • blockbuster
  • snuff film

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Insta, & Facebook.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the ...

Mark as Played
April 4, 2025 39 mins

Episode 261: Jay & Ray chose their own adventures. - Encore

  • bandy about
  • just joshin'
  • world is your oyster
  • get your goat

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Instagram, & FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groo...

Mark as Played
March 21, 2025 32 mins

Episode 260: Jay & Ray enjoy the chaotic nature of reality. - Encore

  • tiff
  • tacky
  • house
  • hawk

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Instagram, & FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groove salad at bigsciencemusic.com

Mark as Played
March 14, 2025 32 mins

Episode 259: Jay & Ray discuss a wide palette of colorful idioms. - Encore

  • cut the mustard
  • ace in the hole
  • out of the blue

Subscribe, review, and come find us on BlueSky, Instagram, & FB.

Big Science Music is an award-winning original music and sound boutique. Providing scoring, sound design, radio, podcast, and all audio-post production services for the advertising, film, and video industries. Grab a taste of the groov...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.