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In each episode you discover the surprising history of how sayings we use today came to be long ago. This show is for you if you are a logophile -...
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In each episode you discover the surprising history of how sayings we use today came to be long ago. This show is for you if you are a logophile - meaning of course lover of words - a writer, speaker, philomath, or someone who simply loves history tidbits you can use to amaze and impress friends and family.
show less
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
2 FEB 2026 · In this episode, you discover the origin and meaning of, "Longer Than a Country Mile". In addition, you'll discover the meaning of two Words of the Day, Gargantuan and Ergophobia.
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Resources:
"What Is a Country Mile? – Origin & Meaning". "Grammarist.com". Link: https://grammarist.com/idiom/country-mile/
"A Country Mile - What's the meaning of the phrase 'A country mile'?". Phrase Finder. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-country-mile.html#google_vignette
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Host: Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com.
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Technical information: Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Audacity, Soften, Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Audyllic. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
3 JAN 2026 · In 1966, the Rolling Stones recorded "Under My Thumb". What is the centuries-old origin of the phrase "Under The Thumb," and why do so many supposed experts get the origin wrong?
In addition to the "Under My Thumb" and "Under The Thumb" phrases, you'll discover the Words of the Year from Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionaries.
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Resources:
"Under the Thumb". "Phrase Finder" - Phrases.org.UK. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/under-the-thumb.html
"Under someone's thumb". "The Free Dictionary". Link: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/under+someone%27s+thumb
"Under one's thumb". "LanGeek English". Link: https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/214361?entry=under%20thumb
"2025 Word of the Year: Slop" - Merriam-Webster.com. Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year
"Oxford Word of the Year 2025". "Oxford University Press". Link: https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year/
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com.. Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com.
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Soften, Amadeus Pro, and Levelator. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
11 DEC 2025 · In this episode you discover the origin and meaning of the 600-year old phrase, "Red-Handed" and how it entered Western legal proceedings.
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Resources and citations:
"Caught Red-Handed". GingerSoftware.com. Link: https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/caught-red-handed
"The Bloody Origins of the Phrase 'Caught Red-Handed'". "How Stuff Works". Link: https://people.howstuffworks.com/caught-red-handed.htm#
"Caught red-handed". "Phrase Finder". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/caught-red-handed.html
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Soften, Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Auphonic. Final edits with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Fifine T1.
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Keywords:
Scottish Law, Scotland,
25 NOV 2025 · In this episode you discover the meaning and surprising origin of the phrase, "Black Friday". You'll learn how merchants conspired to change it's negative original connotation to one they thought was far more positive. Did it work?
References:
"Why Is It Called Black Friday?". Britannica.com. Link: https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-it-called-black-friday
"Black Friday (shopping)". Wikipedia.com. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)
"Black Friday History: The Dark True Story Behind The Name". Huffpost.com. Link: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-friday-history-why-is-it-called-black-friday_l_5d951322e4b02911e1154386
"Thanksgiving: From Local Harvests to National Holiday". Smithsonian - SI.edu. Link: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/thanksgiving/history
"The History of Thanksgiving in Canada". Canadianhistory.ca. Link: https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/the-history-of-thanksgiving-in-canada
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Soften, Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Levelator. Final edits with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone Rode Procaster (close miced).
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Keywords:
Philadelphia, Thanksgiving, holiday_shopping,
16 OCT 2025 · In this episode, you discover the origin and true meaning of "Raising Cain".
Resources for further study:
"What is the meaning of the phrase raising Cain?". GotQuestions.org. Link: https://www.gotquestions.org/raising-Cain.html
"What's the meaning of the phrase 'Raise Cain'?". "Phrase Finder". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/raising-cain.html
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, Levelator, Audyllic, and Soften. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Rode Procaster.
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Keywords:
Cain, Abel, Bible, Old Testament, Genesis,
22 SEP 2025 · In this episode you discover the true meaning and origin of the phrase, "Pie in the Sky". In addition, you'll discover the meaning of two vocabulary words, Lugubrious and Montage.
Resources:
"Pie In The Sky: Definition, Meaning, and Origin". "U.S. Dictionary". Link: https://usdictionary.com/idioms/pie-in-the-sky/
"Pie in the sky". "Phrase Finder". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/pie-in-the-sky.html
"Joe Hill- The Preacher and the Slave (Performed by Utah Phillips). YouTube.com. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2tyW-68iik&list=RDM2tyW-68iik&start_radio=1
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Edits included "Smooth" at 30%. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, Levelator, and Audyllic. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Rode Procaster.
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Key word: Joe Hill,
22 JUL 2025 · In this episode you discover the true meaning and origin of "Paint the town" and "Paint the town red".
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Sources:
"Paint the town red". Phrases.org. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/paint-the-town-red.html
"A HYPOTHESIS AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE PHRASE ‘TO PAINT THE TOWN RED’". "Word Histories". https://wordhistories.net/2016/08/26/paint-the-town-red/#:~:text=7%2D:%20A%20SPREE%20AT%20MELTON%20MOWBRAY%2C%20LEICESTERSHIRE%2C%20IN%201837&text=an%20actual%20piece%20of%20drunken,and%20only%20Paint%20at%20Night.&text=Untouched%20by%20something%20most%20appalling
"Why do we say ‘Paint the town red’?". "History Extra". Link: https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/paint-town-red-why-say-origins-meaning-history/
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Levelator. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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Key words:
Paint the town red, Marquis_of_Waterford,
16 JUN 2025 · In this episode you discover the true meaning and origin of the saying, "Dead Ringer". You also learn the false persistent myth - spread on Facebook - as to the origin of the phrase.
Word of the day: Rubicon. Definition and history shared in episode.
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Sources:
"Phrase origins linked to burials is dead wrong" by David Williams. AAP FactCheck. Link: https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/phrase-origins-linked-to-burials-is-dead-wrong/
"A Dead Ringer". Phrase Finder. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dead-ringer.html
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recorded with Audio Hijack. Edits with Twisted Wave, Audacity (noise reduction, click removal), Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Levelator. Final edits and renderting with Hindenburg Pro to include generic voice profiler. Microphone: SE DynaCaster DCM8.
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Key words:
rubicon, crossing_the_rubicon, graveyard_shift, saved_by_the_bell,
7 MAY 2025 · In this episode you discover the meaning and reported potential origins of the saying, "Get Your Ducks in a Row". You also discover this episode's "Word of the Day", Magnanimous.
Sources:
"Why Do We Say “Get Your Ducks in a Row”?". WordSmarts.com. Link: https://wordsmarts.com/ducks-in-a-row/
"Museum Minute: The surprising origin of the phrase, ‘get your ducks in a row'". WyomingPublicMedia.org. Link: https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/show/wyoming-minute/2024-06-06/the-surprising-origin-of-the-phrase-get-your-ducks-in-a-row
"Ducks in a Row – Meaning and Origin". Grammarist.com. Link: https://grammarist.com/idiom/get-ones-ducks-in-a-row-and-have-ones-ducks-in-a-row/
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recorded and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Audacity, Hush, and Levelator. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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1 APR 2025 · In this episode you discover the origin and true meaning of the sayings, "Spill the Beans" and "Spill the Tea".
References for more information:
"Where Does the Phrase 'Spilling the Beans' Come From?". "Readers Digest. Link: "https://www.rd.com/article/spill-the-beans-meaning/
"Spill the Beans | Meaning, Origin & Examples". Quillbot.com. Link: https://quillbot.com/blog/idioms/spill-the-beans/
“Spill the Tea” – Meaning & Origin (With Examples). "GrammerHow.com". Link: https://grammarhow.com/spill-the-tea-meaning-origin/
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Host:
Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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Technical information:
Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, Levelator, and Audyllic. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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In each episode you discover the surprising history of how sayings we use today came to be long ago. This show is for you if you are a logophile -...
show more
In each episode you discover the surprising history of how sayings we use today came to be long ago. This show is for you if you are a logophile - meaning of course lover of words - a writer, speaker, philomath, or someone who simply loves history tidbits you can use to amaze and impress friends and family.
show less
Information
| Author | Stephen Carter |
| Organization | Stephen Carter |
| Categories | History , Books , Language Learning |
| Website | www.spreaker.com |
| swcarter@aol.com |
Copyright 2026 - Spreaker Inc. an iHeartMedia Company
