

Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Shauna Harrison, Dan Pugh
Welcome to our whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase. Each week, we delve into the origins of phrases to find out how they came into the English language. We tell the story of how the phrase got from its beginnings to where it is today. Shauna and Dan are two big nerds, so expect some geek culture references, random trivia facts, and loads of laughs!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 10, 2024 • 31min
230 Pie in the Sky
This week Shauna and Dan explore the surprising origins of pie in the sky. From workers rights to great British actors this episode has tons of cool facts! Bonus: Biggest meal of the day Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

Apr 3, 2024 • 31min
RETRO 98 Calm Before The Storm
This week Shauna and Dan take a look at the Calm Before The Storm. Then quickly learn there is SO MUCH MORE to this phrase! Join them on a whimsical adventure to explore the calm before and after the tempest. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Mar 27, 2024 • 31min
229 Tough Nut to Crack
This week Shauna and Dan look into the phrase, a Tough Nut to Crack. Dan gets super confused about the history of window blinds and then does a quick Aaron Neville impression. Bonus: The best Superman actors Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

Mar 20, 2024 • 32min
228 Fly Off the Handle
This week Shauna and Dan try not to Fly Off the Handle as the dig into old dictionaries and early uses of the phrase. Bonus: Maine becomes a State, Buddy Rich, and our favorite pen colors. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Mar 13, 2024 • 30min
227 Speak of the Devil
This week Shauna and Dan decide to Speak of the Devil. Or sometimes, Talk of the Devil. Which do you say when someone you were just talking about shows up? Bonus: The devil has rattling bones and Dan hates horror games. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Mar 6, 2024 • 33min
226 Whole Kit and Caboodle
This week Shauna and Dan look into the whole kit and caboodle. Interesting, both of the phrases existed by themselves before they made common cause to outlast many of their rival phrases. Bonus: Make-up tackleboxes, planting people, and clowns! Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Feb 28, 2024 • 32min
225 Spit Into the Wind
This week Shauna and Dan talk about spitting into the wind. Gross. Fortunately, there is an early phrase that is less gross. Bonus: Our thanks to archivists, language researchers, and other professional word nerds. Also, combatants fighting the invisible opponents. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Feb 21, 2024 • 31min
RETRO 105 Crossing the Rubicon
RETRO: This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase Crossing the Rubicon. Dan takes a guess at the origin of this phrase, but can't even get the right "ancient crosser of things". It's a mix of Crash Course World History and etymological fun on this week's Bunny Trails! Don't forget to be awesome! Originally aired March 24, 2021. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Feb 14, 2024 • 31min
224 When Pigs Fly
This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "when pigs fly". This one comes to English from Latin, and was quite a bit longer than the phrase we use today. Bonus: Reese's Peanut Butter Blobs and other holiday candy. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

Feb 7, 2024 • 32min
223 Not My Cup of Tea
This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "not my cup of tea". Bonus: The silk road, black drag culture, and the age old question: Sunrise or Sunset? Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved


