Boo To A Goose

It's our first ever live episode! Recorded in front of a live studio audience on Mother's Day 2021 as a part of the Bake Your Own Amazing Bagels live demo, Jacob and Annie bring you the stunning and mysterious origin behind "mum's the word".

Whoa mama, it's our Mother's Day episode! And we're hitting you with a couple of pregnancy-related expressions, "up the duff" and "knocked up". Two expressions for the price of one podcast! You never thought you could be so lucky!

Jacob and Annie heard this phrase come up when talking to one of their many British friends, and Jacob had no idea what it meant! Isn't it great when these things come up organically? Let's get to the bottom of who this Riley guy is and why someone might want his life. Also, as a bonus: What a Ledge!

Sorry for the break, but we're back! Annie used this word in conversation the other day, so Jacob insisted to not know the origin of it until the podcast. Hopefully you learn a little something!

This one is about manners and gender! Kind of. Annie used this phrase recently and Jacob had never heard it before, so we're gonna talk about it! Do you have rude jerks in your life who are kinda sexist? Then this is a good one to have in your back pocket.

It's a food episode! Annie is particularly a fan of this one, so we decided to cover it, and Jacob likes beans, so we talk about beans a bit too. This episode is chock full of tasty British culture!

A fun time at the playground for sure! Jacob and Annie discovered another British phrase organically this week, so obviously it's time to podcast about it. Learn every possible definition of "roundabout" and the most likely origin of this fun and useful term.

Jacob takes the reins again in this episode, concerning a phrase mired in mystery and cloaked in suspicion. Lots of theories. Pick your favorite! Also Annie and Jacob talk about British to American TV remakes. Not a lot. Just a little.

BECAUSE I DEMANDED IT! After wondering about the origins of this term a couple weeks ago, we finally sat down to find out why the center of a target is called a "bull's eye"! It's another role reversal where Jacob does the digging and Annie does the pondering. The answer will likely surprise you! Also we talk a lot about the movie Toy Story 2.

Yes, we're actually doing it! The phrase we utter in literally every episode of this show is getting its own episode! Both Brits and Americans have called the Atlantic Ocean "the pond" for donkey's years (callback!) and in this episode Jacob and Annie get to the bottom of why. Globe-spanning slang that about literally spanning the globe! How about it! (Also we talk about Mad Men a little bit.)

It's our 2020 Year-End Special! At the end of this mess of a year, we discuss the term "pig's ear". You'll see why when we get into it. Happy New Year, everybody!

It's our Christmas episode! And we spend the entire time discussing a different holiday. Annie explains Boxing Day to Jacob in this episode: the origin, meaning, and traditions of the largely British celebration. Featuring another extended discussion of the Dickens Christmas Fair! Merry Christmas, everyone!

This is an exclamation! A very weird and different expression, Jacob and Annie deduce what "giddy" means, why it applies to aunts, and how this expression became successful. Listen to it with your aunt!

Be honest: you've been wondering about this one. This oft-repeated phrase is used to mock and imitate British accents hundreds of times a day, and it's often used incorrectly. Annie and Jacob get down to the actual meaning behind the word as well as other words used in a similar context. And if you think we're not gonna talk about cereal, brother, you got another thing coming.

Get in there, lads! This one's about the word bung, and various permutations! Annie tells Jacob how she's used it, along with a few definitions she's never heard before. For fans of 1990s MTV animation, this one will be mind-blowing! (It's for everyone else, too.)

Thanks for listening, everybody! As a thank you to our listeners, we're talking about saying thank you! We break down various expressions used to express thanks in the UK, culminating in one of the most popular British expressions of all: Cheers. Ta!

Another American expression! Jacob does the research and informs Annie about this expression, all about humiliation and dietary restriction. You're gonna learn something!

What is gorm? Find out here! Annie uses this phrase all the time, but Jacob has no idea what it is, so let's get into it!

It's another idiom! In an episode rife with political meaning and intrigue, Jacob and Annie discuss the ways different cultures interpret the concept of "the camel's nose," which speaks to granting permission to advantage. Which interpretation is your favorite? Plus: conkers!

Six different definitions, all within the same theme, and even with the same origin?? What a concept! Even if you only know one or two, Jacob and Annie still hit you with some new fun intel on this term. If your name is Nick, you may find this one annoying. Plus: Looney Tunes content!

It's our first American expression! In a stunning twist, Jacob did the research and Annie does the responding for this phrase we discovered in our earlier Full Monty episode. Observe the changing of roles and be amazed!

You know the feeling. That pit in your stomach. That gruesome sorrow. Jacob and Annie provide a couple examples of what it means to be absolutely gutted.

Did you know this phrase predates the 1997 film? Jacob sure didn't! Annie informs Jacob of the various possible origins of this phrase. Warning: may contain audio-only references to human nudity.

We're back! After a sorta hiatus, Jacob and Annie return to analyze one of our most popular idioms to date: getting off scot free. Many people believe they know the source of this one, and we debunk a few of the wrong ones before we get to the real deal.

Is it pride? Is it pleasure? Is it possibly actually a bad thing? Jacob and Annie uncover the meaning behind this popular British expression, which has nothing to do with the Dickens Christmas Fair.

This is one you don't want to be! Learn what it means to be manky (and why you don't wanna be) in this new episode from Jacob and Annie.

In a world of lies, who can you trust? Jacob and Annie, I hope! We break down three different possible origins of this cute and common expression, including at least two you'd never expect. If you like it, leave a review!

We did a second Alice in Wonderland episode! Much more obscure than the previous one, this time we talk about how the English county of Cheshire applies to cats, and why this might cause them to grin (and disappear). Tell your friends!

We're doing an arc! Jacob and Annie dissect the origin of the phrase "mad as a hatter", which predates Lewis Carroll using it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Where did the phrase come from? How did it come to mean what it means? Why hatters? Find out here! (There will be another Alice phrase next week.)

This episode is about bog standard, but it isn't bog standard. Does that make sense? It will when you hear what bog standard means. It really BOGgles the mind.

You don't want to get shirty with Jacob and Annie! You can try, but it's not a good idea! Find out how to avoid such a horrible circumstance in our first requested episode!

What could this one possibly mean? It makes a lot more sense in retrospect! Jacob and Annie crack the shell on this one, old-school style.

Today we discuss the term donkey's years! Or is it donkey's ears? This one is mired in mystery and conflicting origins, but one thing's for sure: we talk a lot about donkeys.

Have you ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Have you ever disrupted a romantic rendezvous? Then you might have been playing the gooseberry! Jacob and Annie get into the origins of this term, as well as international equivalents of playing the third wheel from around the world.

Banter is a vital part of British humor. Taking the mickey is a part of that! Learn what taking the mickey means, where it comes from, and how it ties into the unique tradition of cockney rhyming slang. Jacob and Annie break it all down in our longest (and grossest) episode yet!

Everybody loves dogs, right? And eating? That’s what we hope! Jacob and Annie get to the bottom of this term and its two opposite meanings.

Yes, this is a real thing, not just something people say when they’re trying to do a British accent! Jacob and Annie learn the contested origins of this very common and very bizarre expression.

Sometimes, everything seems like it’s too much. That’s a palaver. Jacob and Annie get into what this word means and where it comes from.

In this episode, Jacob and Annie tackle the turn of phrase that launched this entire podcast: “boo to a goose”. What does it mean? How should one use it? What is this podcast even about? All of those questions are answered in this episode!

This is the trailer to Boo To A Goose! For a fully summary of what this podcast is about, listen to this 30-second ad narrated by Jacob and Annie.