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

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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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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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

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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...

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July 11, 2025 36 mins

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

  • eureka
  • mojo
  • tickled pink
  • kvelling

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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 ...

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July 4, 2025 38 mins

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

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

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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 ...

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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

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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 bigs...

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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

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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...

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June 13, 2025 30 mins

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

  • filthy rich
  • foot the bill

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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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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

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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 bigscienc...

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May 30, 2025 33 mins

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

  • cheese it
  • jalopy

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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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May 23, 2025 31 mins

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

  • dry humor
  • jaunty

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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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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 

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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...

Mark as Played

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