M02: The Mendoza Line

04/28/21 • 32 min

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!

Previous Episode

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!

Next Episode

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).