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

March 20, 2026 32 mins

Episode 309: Jay & Ray toast to some new idioms.

  • here's mud in your eye
  • stingy

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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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Episode 308: Jay & Ray stitch up a few old idioms.

  • know the ropes
  • hell bent for leather

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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 6, 2026 29 mins

Episode 307: Jay & Ray learn about a few old odds and ends.

  • scuttlebutt
  • odds and ends

Expressway (To Your Heart)

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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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February 27, 2026 34 mins

Episode 306: Jay & Ray get chilly with a few old idioms.

  • full bore
  • arctic

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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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February 20, 2026 37 mins

Episode 305: Jay & Ray take a bite of out of old food idioms.

  • carboy
  • zest

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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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February 13, 2026 30 mins

Episode 304: Jay & Ray pull a old magical idioms out of their hats.

  • open sesame
  • hokum

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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 6, 2026 39 mins

Episode 303: Jay & Ray are over a barrel. - Encore

  • over your skiis
  • over a barrel

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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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January 30, 2026 30 mins

Episode 302: Jay & Ray are beside themselves with (old) idioms. - Encore

  • hankering
  • beside yourself

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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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January 23, 2026 31 mins

Episode 301: Jay & Ray get hungry for (old) foodioms. - Encore

  • ham-fisted
  • egg on your face

Hambone Blues by Milton Brown / 1936

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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 gro...

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January 16, 2026 25 mins

Episode 300: Jay & Ray grab a few cold ones. -Encore

  • cold feet
  • tie one on

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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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January 9, 2026 38 mins

Episode 299: Jay & Ray get a little lazy. - Encore

  • lazy susan
  • lo and behold

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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 t...

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January 2, 2026 29 mins

Episode 298: Jay & Ray kibitz over some old idioms. - Encore

  • roger
  • kibitz

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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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December 26, 2025 35 mins

Episode 297: Jay & Ray get festive with a few sparkle season idioms. - Encore

  • deck the halls
  • trim the tree

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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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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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December 12, 2025 33 mins

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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