America's Secret Slang

America's Secret Slang (2013-2014)

EndedDocumentary showHistory

Horse of a Different Color. Black Sheep. Wrong Side of the Tracks. These are common expressions we use every day in America. But what's the history behind these phrases? Find out in the new season of America's Secret Slang, where in each episode host Zach Selwyn will reveal the hidden history behind our favorite sayings, clichés and oddly sounding words.

Network
Scheduleevery Saturday at 22:30 (30 min)

Last Episode

Hail to the Chief
Season 2Episode 830 min

Hail to the Chief

In this episode, we look at the ways that American English has been transformed by American presidents, by the language of sex and romance, by good and bad manners. We'll also explore how easy it is to insult people of different groups without even realizing it. Did you know who invented the phrase Founding Fathers, and what the Founding Fathers originally called themselves? Or how American presidents popularized terms like "three martini lunch," "lunatic fringe" and "keep the ball rolling?" When it comes to insults, did you know that the cheer "hip hip hurray" was originally anti-Semitic, "hooligan" was anti-Irish, and the phrase "in cahoots" was anti-French? When it comes to sex, how did a diet of meat give us the word "mating," why do young men "sow their wild oats," and why is the word "hysterical" an insult to women? And when it comes to manners, we'll explore the strange roots of words like "posh," "snob," "stuck up" and even "hello" and "goodbye."

Aug 2, 2014

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S02E08Hail to the ChiefAug 2, 2014
S02E07Go for BrokeJul 26, 2014
S02E06Bite the BulletJul 19, 2014
S02E05Cut to the ChaseJun 28, 2014
S02E04Off the CuffJun 21, 2014
View all episodesView all seasons

Cast

Zach Selwyn

Zach Selwyn

plays himself
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Characters

Host

Host

played by Zach Selwyn
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