When we say “let the cat out of the bag,” we mean someone has revealed some secret information, often by accident. But what does this saying have to do with a medieval marketplace and little piglets? Find out the origins of this animal idiom with Say What?!

Learn about the once-popular animal idiom “the bee’s knees,” in this episode of Say What?! Though it may not be used much today, it’s considered a big compliment to say something is “the bee’s knees.” But why is that? The connecting joints on a bee’s legs may be considered knees, but according to special guest and friend of bees, Krystle Hickman, it isn’t really what bees are known for.

If someone is pretending to be upset, you might say they’re crying “crocodile tears.” But where does that saying come from? And what does it have to do with a reptile that’s been around since the time of the dinosaurs, can grow more than 20
feet long, and can go through 4,000 teeth over a lifetime?

The saying “straight from the horse’s mouth” means getting information directly from someone who knows it best. But why do we say this? Back in the old days, horses were a huge part of everyday life, especially as a way for people to get around. And some believed the surest way to tell a horse’s age was to examine its mouth. Take a peek inside in this episode of Say What?!, but hold your breath!

When someone says “It’s raining cats and dogs” they mean it’s raining really hard. But where does that saying come from? You might be surprised to learn it involves the Vikings, cats and magic tails, waterfalls, and straw roofs in this episode of Say What?!

You might say “a little bird told me” to mean that you got information from someone… but you’re not going to say who that person is. But where does that saying come from? Learn how this animal idiom has been used across history in this episode of Say What?! — from Shakespeare to ancient Egypt!

The saying “red herring” means something that distracts you from what’s really important. Join our Say What?! detective on the case of this suspicious saying, as they uncover an old story about training hunting dogs with smelly herring fish.

If you say something will happen when pigs fly, it’s never going to happen. But where does that saying come from? From centuries-old Scottish writing to Alice in Wonderland, flying pigs have been talked about for ages. Hop aboard and hear why in this episode of Say What?!