America's Secret Slang
Description
Host Zach Selwyn hits the streets to ask everyday people what they know about the origins and meaning of American slang, and then he reveals the true etymology and hidden history of common phrases and words that are unique to the United States. In each 30-minute episode, Selwyn focuses on a specific period in American history, revealing words that originated during that era or had significance for the geographic region.
Episodes
Straight from the Horse's Mout...
How American English has been changed by animals, food, sports and death.
31 May 2014
Riding Shotgun
Exploring words and phrases that are rooted in history.
7 June 2014
Lower the Boom
How American English was influenced by the seas, the ancient world, big business and the news industry.
14 June 2014
Off the Cuff
Ways American English has been shaped by clothes, crimes, punishments, insults and the Internet.
21 June 2014
Cut to the Chase
How entertainment influenced common words and phrases.
28 June 2014
Bite the Bullet
Words that originated in the military, police, aviation and baseball; a "last ditch effort"; freelance workers; pushing the envelope.
19 July 2014
Go for Broke
Exploring the ways the language has been shaped by Vikings, the Cold War, computers, music and gambling; the meanings behind the colors of the rainbow.
26 July 2014Hail to the Chief
Presidents, sex and romance, and manners have influenced American English.
2 August 2014