Wednesday, May 31, 2023

RETRO Episode 116: Calling Dibs and Other Chicago Phrases

 

RETRO: Shauna and Dan return from Chicago armed with numerous parts of what newspaperman Mike Ryoko called "Chicagoese". We take a good look at the origins of Calling Dibs before doing snippets of other words and phrases like Ferris Wheel, Jinx, Pipe Dream, and more. Bonus: Dan wishes he knew I-290 was gonna be called the Eisenhower. It would have saved him so many headaches. More bonuses: Italian Beef, Hot Dogs, and Gluten-Free Donuts.

Originally aired July 7, 2021

 

Click to read the show notes

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Retro Episode 110: Pardon My French

 

RETRO: Dan gets an earworm and it turns into an entire episode on the phrase, "Pardon My French". Cause that's how it goes sometimes. This week our phrase moves from the early 1800s literal usage to a current way to excuse bad language, with plenty of high points along the way. #BunnyTrails
Originally aired May 19, 2021
 

 Click to read the show notes

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Episode 193: In a Pickle

Dan hates on cucumbers. And a popular children's book series. And a popular TV mockumentary. But he is helpful in defining what a rundown is in baseball. Shauna explores a light history of pickling and the origins of "In a Pickle" on this week's #BunnyTrails.

 


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Tuesday, May 16, 2023

A quick note about Show Notes...

 Beginning May 17, 2023, we will be merging the show notes into the episode post. This means you can find the show notes on the same post as the episode instead of have two separate posts for them. 

Patrons at any level can get a better formatted pdf version of the show notes at patreon.com/bunnytrailspod. The formatting here on blogger has gone downhill over the years and we are struggling to make the show notes formatted in a way that makes them aesthetically pleasing within Bloggers constraints. Still, we want to make sure you have access to them for free, without needing to have access to a Patreon account. 

-Dan

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Episode 192: My Goodness

 

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, My Goodness. How can My Goodness euphemistically refer to a god, when the words god and good are not etymologically related? And did Shakespeare start this one? Bonus: John Gilroy's Guinness campaign and Goldilocks' mattress.

Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

 

 


Episode 192: My Goodness Show Notes

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Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Episode 191: Face the Music

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Face the Music. Dan turns into an old man and yells at clouds while Shauna misses Bill and Ted. Bonus: Dan confuses Hugh Grant and John Hannah, then shares his dice collection. #BunnyTrails

Copyright 2023 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved


 

 

Episode 191: Face the Music Show Notes

 

Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast

Episode 191: Face the Music

Record Date: April 24, 2023

Air Date: May 3, 2023

 

Intro

 

Dan:

Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase.

 

I’m Dan Pugh

 

Shauna:

And I’m Shauna Harrison

 

Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used today.

 

 

Opening Hook

Have you ever made a decision that wasn’t the best or perhaps made a mistake that you knew was going to get you into trouble? There is a certain point where you have to decide if you’re going to run away or just go in and deal with the consequences. Which are you? Do you hide or do you take a deep breath and go face the music?

 

 

Meaning

 

The idiom face the music truly means to face the consequences of one’s actions. This typically refers to negative consequences. We see scenarios in movies frequently where someone has created this big lie or story that eventually everyone is going to find out about. It’s all going to come out in the end. What will the character do when it’s time to face the music?

 

 

Oxford English Dictionary gives us this definition,

Quote

to face the music: to accept or confront the inevitable, or the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.

End quote

https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/67426?redirectedFrom=face+the+music#eid134064993

 

The origin of this phrase is uncertain, but there are several theories.

 

One theory suggests that the phrase comes from the world of theatre, where actors would "face the music" by turning to the orchestra pit to receive their cues. This would require them to confront the reality of the situation, including any mistakes they might have made.

 

Another theory is that the phrase comes from military tradition, where soldiers who were being court-martialed would be forced to "face the music" by standing in front of the regimental band as they played a funeral march.

 

A similar theory described those who’d been dishonorably discharged being asked to leave the field of battle. As they made their exit, the military drummers would play a march signaling their shame to the rest of the soldiers.

 

Kind of dark, right?

 

Regardless of its exact origins, the phrase has been in use since at least the early 1800s and remains a popular idiom today.

 

The earliest use of this idiom that I was able to find in print is from the year 1800 in The Works of Charles Reade: Put yourself in his place. Now, I was unable to access more of the text but we do have these few sentences,

Quote

As for Henry, he felt quite triumphant and grand, and consoled her in an off-hand, hearty way. “Come, cheer up, and face the music. They have all forgotten you by this time, and when they do see you again, you shall be as good as the best of them.”

End quote

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Works_of_Charles_Reade_Put_yourself/LoIOAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22face+the+music%22&dq=%22face+the+music%22&printsec=frontcover

 

I can imagine a variety of situations where this comment would work… maybe the person he’s talking to had done something embarrassing, perhaps flopped during a performance, or something like that. And he’s saying, hey, they won’t even remember who you are. But there’s nothing else to do but go face them and whatever the consequences might be.

 

The next item comes from the July 26, 1844 edition of the Green-Mountain Freeman out of Montpelier, Vermont.

Quote