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America's Secret Slang

America's Secret Slang

If you think about it, English can be confusing, especially to those first learning the language -- as George Carlin pointed out, we park in driveways and drive on parkways. While we take common phrases and idioms for granted, there's usually a back story. In "America's Secret Slang," host Zach Selwyn explores how terms like "slush fund" and "fly off the handle" entered the lexicon. Revelations include how the circus gave America the word "jumbo," how actors led to the word "upstage," and a connection between George Washington and the word "groggy."
DocumentaryTV-PG
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Watch America's Secret Slang on Story Television

Record to watch 11 episodes in the next two weeks

    Hail to the Chief
    Straight From the Horse's Mouth
    Lower the Boom
    Riding Shotgun
    Cut to the Chase
    Off the Cuff
    Go for Broke
    Coming to America
    Talking Turkey
    West Word, Ho!
  • Hail to the Chief

    Presidents, sex and romance, and manners have influenced American English.
    Upcoming
  • Straight From the Horse's Mouth

    How American English has been changed by animals, food, sports and death.
    Upcoming
  • Lower the Boom

    How American English was influenced by the seas, the ancient world, big business and the news industry.
    Upcoming
  • Riding Shotgun

    Exploring words and phrases that are rooted in history.
    Upcoming
  • Cut to the Chase

    How entertainment influenced common words and phrases.
    Upcoming
  • Off the Cuff

    Ways American English has been shaped by clothes, crimes, punishments, insults and the Internet.
    Upcoming

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America's Secret Slang

More about America's Secret Slang

If you think about it, English can be confusing, especially to those first learning the language -- as George Carlin pointed out, we park in driveways and drive on parkways. While we take common phrases and idioms for granted, there's usually a back story. In "America's Secret Slang," host Zach Selwyn explores how terms like "slush fund" and "fly off the handle" entered the lexicon. Revelations include how the circus gave America the word "jumbo," how actors led to the word "upstage," and a connection between George Washington and the word "groggy."

Starring

Zach Selwyn
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