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

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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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...

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May 9, 2025 32 mins

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

  • canoodle
  • druthers 

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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 ...

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May 2, 2025 29 mins

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

  • clear as a bell
  • upset the apple cart

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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.co...

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April 25, 2025 27 mins

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

  • zilch
  • nada

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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

s...

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April 18, 2025 43 mins

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

  • runaround sue
  • lass
  • hillbilly
  • in a jiffy

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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 bigsciencemus...

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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

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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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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

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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 groo...

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March 21, 2025 32 mins

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

  • tiff
  • tacky
  • house
  • hawk

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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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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

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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 groov...

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March 7, 2025 35 mins

Episode 258: Jay & Ray cross the threshold into a world of new idioms.

  • threshold
  • gimp

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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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February 28, 2025 29 mins

Episode 257: Jay & Ray cash in on more money idioms. - Encore

  • bread
  • benjamins
  • bob
  • quid

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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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February 14, 2025 35 mins

Episode 256: Jay & Ray rattle on about death. - Encore

  • buy the farm
  • devil to pay
  • widows peak
  • kick the bucket

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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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January 31, 2025 20 mins

Episode 255: Jay & Ray are going to hell in a handbasket. -Encore

  • hell in a handbasket
  • pandemonium
  • on the fritz
  • mayhem

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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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