Idiots with Idioms is the English-language show where we talk about figurative language from all over the world. We discuss the culture, history, and deeper meaning behind everyday expressions in various languages. Co-hosts Marcello and Ethan guide you through short, informative conversations with native speakers of a different language every month.
E06: You Can't Handle the Truth (about Legal Idioms)
Lawyer and friend of the show Andrew Arsht drops by to discuss three idioms from the legal world. In a wide-ranging conversation, he explains to us how pleading the fifth is a bit more complicated than it looks in Law and Order, how in Britain the police used to literally read the riot act, and how an ambulance chaser has nothing to do with automobiles. We cap it off with yet another thrilling edition of The Idiot's Gambit."
3 Oct 2021
M04: The Bride's Mouthwash, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Corporatism
Idioms from corporate advertising are everywhere. In this episode we take a virtual walk through Times Square and look at four prominent idioms that surprisingly originated from advertising.
24 Jul 2021
E05: Homeland Strawberry Other Land Blueberry (Finnish)
Iiris Andre joins the idiots for an in-depth look at a selection of Finnish idioms. We discuss why some lands are strawberries and some lands are blueberries, what happens when you get your skis crossed, and the best place for sunbathing in all of Finland.
We introduce a brand new “lightning round” segment where we rapidly analyze 9 Finnish idioms, and finish off the episode with the latest edition of the Idiot’s Gambit.
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20 Jun 2021
M03: The Idiots' Gambit
Our third mini-episode is all about a common passion: the game of chess. Ethan and Marcello challenge each in a war over the board while getting into many idiots related to the world of chess.
Join us to learn more about this fascinating game.
2 Jun 2021
E04: A Boot Move (American English)
Andy Hoffmann, a first lieutenant with the United States Marine Corp, joins the Idiots (Marcello and Ethan) for a behind-the-scenes look at military idioms and language.
From 'act like a boot' to 'blue falcon', we explore the idioms used on a military base and how it reflects the marines and larger military culture. Then we take a look at military idioms used in everyday American English, such as 'the whole 9 yards' and 'got your 6' (20:15).
To finish it off, we play IWI's very own game show, the Idiots Gambit (30:15).
28 Apr 2021
M02: The Mendoza Line
Why does something crazy come "out of left field"? And what does 70s baseball player Mario Mendoza have to do with mediocrity? We answer these questions and many more in our latest mini episode: Based on Baseball. We also look at baseball-oriented idioms such as "touch base", "grand slam", "murderers' row", and many more.
Did we miss your favorite baseball idiom? Let us know in the comments and we will include it in a future show!
24 Mar 2021
E03: Go Carpathian Hare (Latin and ancient Greek)
In our latest episode, we're joined by Federico Tanozzi, who introduces us to our new favorite idiom: The Carpathian Hare! We also discuss the millenia-old traditions of idioms in Ancient Greek epic poems.
We're introduced to Aristotle's obsession with idioms (the first ever Idiot with Idioms) and also explore the usage of idioms in Greek wisdom poetry.
Finally, we debut IWI's very own game show, the Idiot's Gambit!
8 Mar 2021
M01: Idioms from ancient Greece
Our first mini-episode is all about ancient Greece 🏛 Discover the origin of idioms such as Achilles' heel, the Gordian Knot and Midas touch.
21 Feb 2021
E02: Chickpeas and Buffalos (Hindi)
In this episode, our guest Spriha Dhanuka leads us through three sets of contradictory proverbs. We explore the historical origins of these proverbs in Indian mystic poetry and discuss what they reveal about modern Indian culture as well as the semantics of proverbs more broadly.
Host idioms in this episode: “A piece of cake” and “a can of corn”.
31 Jan 2021
E01: Toads sitting on stools (Flemish)
The first episode of Idiots with Idioms briefly discusses the background of Flemish before delving into three linguistic oddities.
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