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

December 19, 2025 33 mins

Episode 296: Jay & Ray drink up some old idioms. -Encore

  • nip
  • mooch

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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 W9Y so...

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Episode 295: Jay & Ray talk to some people about idioms. - Encore

  • latchkey kid
  • buckaroo

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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

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December 5, 2025 33 mins

Episode 294: Jay & Ray leaf through some old foliage idioms. - Encore

  • root for
  • bushed

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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

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November 28, 2025 28 mins

Episode 293: Jay & Ray get hungry for some old thanksgiving foodioms. -Encore

  • talk turkey
  • easy as pie

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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 bigsciencemu...

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November 21, 2025 26 mins

Episode 292: Jay & Ray knock out some old idioms. - Encore

  • cold cocked
  • beats me

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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 ...

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November 14, 2025 31 mins

Episode 291: Jay & Ray take a random approach to some old idioms. -Encore

  • hemming & hawwing
  • butter you up
  • cat got your tongue

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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 g...

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November 7, 2025 24 mins

Episode 290: Jay & Ray pick an (old) bone about some body idioms. - Encore

  • cold shoulder
  • elbow grease
  • cake eater

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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 bi...

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October 31, 2025 37 mins

Episode 289: Jay & Ray get eerily close with a few old frightful idioms - encore.

  • graveyard shift
  • bat outta hell
  • jack-o-lantern
  • skeletons in the closet

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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. ...

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October 24, 2025 32 mins

Episode 288: Jay and Ray do some investigative yellow journalism.

  • what a crock!
  • yellow journalism

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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<...

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October 17, 2025 38 mins

Episode 287: Jay & Ray get in the ring with a few old sports idioms - Encore.

  • ringer
  • go to bat for
  • hat trick
  • rubber match

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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 sal...

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October 10, 2025 38 mins

Episode 286: Jay & Ray make newsense with some old nonsense. - Encore

  • lackadaisical
  • flabbergasted
  • gobsmacked
  • shenanigans

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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 sala...

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October 3, 2025 38 mins

Episode 285: Jay & Ray get down to business with old potty talk - Encore

  • latrine
  • privy
  • head
  • commode

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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....

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September 26, 2025 40 mins

Episode 284: Jay & Ray promote a few (old) important titles. - Encore

  • big-wig
  • mogul
  • muckity muck
  • head honcho

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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 bigscie...

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September 19, 2025 26 mins

Episode 283: Jay & Ray spend some time cashing in a few old money idioms. - Encore

  • cheapskate
  • dollars to donuts
  • burn a hole in your pocket

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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...

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September 12, 2025 46 mins

Episode 282: Jay & Ray stumble randomly through some old idioms. - Encore

  • tickle your fancy
  • get hitched
  • plant
  • lowball

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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 a...

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September 5, 2025 42 mins

Episode 281: Jay & Ray get scammed by a few old idioms. - Encore

  • nick
  • stiff
  • racket
  • boost

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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

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August 29, 2025 40 mins

Episode 280: Jay & Ray groove with a few 60s idioms, again. - Encore

  • bummer
  • flake
  • split
  • bogart

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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

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August 22, 2025 46 mins

Episode 279: Jay & Ray ay & Ray take a whack at a few golf idioms - again. Encore.

  • birdie
  • bogey
  • eagle
  • mulligan

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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 b...

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August 8, 2025 45 mins

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

  • chow
  • nosh
  • spam
  • barbecue

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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

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July 25, 2025 29 mins

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

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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 ...

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