Summary
In this episode of the Stuff You Should Know podcast, the hosts cover a range of topics related to popular phrases and sayings. They begin by discussing the phrase "the exception that proves the rule," explaining its meaning and origin in medieval law. They then move on to the phrase "pu," which sounds like the Latin word for "I stink" but has no actual meaning. They also explore the origin of the phrase "bury the hatchet," which comes from a Native American practice of burying weapons during peace treaty meetings.
The hosts then delve into the origin of the phrase "in a pickle," which comes from Shakespeare's play The Tempest and was borrowed from a Dutch phrase meaning "to be in the pickle brine." They also discuss the slippery slope argument, a logical fallacy often used in political arguments to scare people into agreement.
The context then turns to the popular phrase "Que Sera Sera," which means "what will be, will be." The hosts explain that the phrase is grammatically incorrect in both Italian and Spanish, but the incorrect version became widely accepted. They also explore the meaning and origin of the phrase "begs the question," which is often used incorrectly.
Finally, the hosts explain the origin of the saying "balls out," which has nothing to do with testicles. The phrase comes from the centrifugal governor, a machine that regulates the speed of spinning machines with two weighted balls on the end of sticks. The faster the machine spins, the further the balls stick out to the side, and when it's running at high speed, it's called "running balls out." The hosts encourage listeners to Google the centrifugal governor to better understand the concept.
