Episodes

  • Origin and Meaning of "In The Sticks" Plus Words of The Day

    Origin and Meaning of "In The Sticks" Plus Words of The Day
    Mar 11 2026
    In this episode, you discover the origin and historical meaning of the phrase, "In the sticks". In addition, you'll learn the meaning of our three Words of the Day:

    Mea Culpa
    Perspicacious
    Prescind
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    Resources:

    Etymonline.com: "Origin and history of sticks". Link: https://www.etymonline.com/word/sticks
    Phrase Finder: "In the sticks". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/in-the-sticks.html
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    Host info: Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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    Technical information: Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Audacity, Waves ReGen, with final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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    10 mins
  • Origin and Meaning of "Longer Than a Country Mile"

    Origin and Meaning of "Longer Than a Country Mile"
    Feb 2 2026
    In this episode, you discover the origin and meaning of, "Longer Than a Country Mile". In addition, you'll discover the meaning of two Words of the Day, Gargantuan and Ergophobia.
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    Resources:

    "What Is a Country Mile? – Origin & Meaning". "Grammarist.com". Link: https://grammarist.com/idiom/country-mile/

    "A Country Mile - What's the meaning of the phrase 'A country mile'?". Phrase Finder. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-country-mile.html#google_vignette
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    Host: Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com.
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    Technical information: Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Audacity, Soften, Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Audyllic. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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    14 mins
  • Origin and Meaning of "Under My Thumb" Plus Words of the Year

    Origin and Meaning of "Under My Thumb" Plus Words of the Year
    Jan 3 2026
    In 1966, the Rolling Stones recorded "Under My Thumb". What is the centuries-old origin of the phrase "Under The Thumb," and why do so many supposed experts get the origin wrong?

    In addition to the "Under My Thumb" and "Under The Thumb" phrases, you'll discover the Words of the Year from Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionaries.
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    Resources:

    "Under the Thumb". "Phrase Finder" - Phrases.org.UK. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/under-the-thumb.html

    "Under someone's thumb". "The Free Dictionary". Link: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/under+someone%27s+thumb

    "Under one's thumb". "LanGeek English". Link: https://dictionary.langeek.co/en/word/214361?entry=under%20thumb

    "2025 Word of the Year: Slop" - Merriam-Webster.com. Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year

    "Oxford Word of the Year 2025". "Oxford University Press". Link: https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year/
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    Host:

    Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com.. Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com.
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    Technical information:

    Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Soften, Amadeus Pro, and Levelator. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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    15 mins
  • Origin and Meaning of "Red-Handed" Plus Words of the Day

    Origin and Meaning of "Red-Handed" Plus Words of the Day
    Dec 11 2025
    In this episode you discover the origin and meaning of the 600-year old phrase, "Red-Handed" and how it entered Western legal proceedings.
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    Resources and citations:

    "Caught Red-Handed". GingerSoftware.com. Link: https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/caught-red-handed

    "The Bloody Origins of the Phrase 'Caught Red-Handed'". "How Stuff Works". Link: https://people.howstuffworks.com/caught-red-handed.htm#

    "Caught red-handed". "Phrase Finder". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/caught-red-handed.html
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    Host:

    Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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    Technical information:

    Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Soften, Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Auphonic. Final edits with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Fifine T1.
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    Keywords:

    Scottish Law, Scotland,
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    10 mins
  • Meaning and Surprising Origin of "Black Friday" Plus Word of The Day

    Meaning and Surprising Origin of "Black Friday" Plus Word of The Day
    Nov 25 2025
    In this episode you discover the meaning and surprising origin of the phrase, "Black Friday". You'll learn how merchants conspired to change it's negative original connotation to one they thought was far more positive. Did it work?

    References:

    "Why Is It Called Black Friday?". Britannica.com. Link: https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-it-called-black-friday

    "Black Friday (shopping)". Wikipedia.com. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

    "Black Friday History: The Dark True Story Behind The Name". Huffpost.com. Link: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-friday-history-why-is-it-called-black-friday_l_5d951322e4b02911e1154386

    "Thanksgiving: From Local Harvests to National Holiday". Smithsonian - SI.edu. Link: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/thanksgiving/history

    "The History of Thanksgiving in Canada". Canadianhistory.ca. Link: https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/the-history-of-thanksgiving-in-canada
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    Host:

    Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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    Technical information:

    Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Soften, Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Levelator. Final edits with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone Rode Procaster (close miced).
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    Keywords:

    Philadelphia, Thanksgiving, holiday_shopping,
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    13 mins
  • Origin and Meaning of "Raising Cain" Plus Word of the Day

    Origin and Meaning of "Raising Cain" Plus Word of the Day
    Oct 16 2025
    In this episode, you discover the origin and true meaning of "Raising Cain".

    Resources for further study:

    "What is the meaning of the phrase raising Cain?". GotQuestions.org. Link: https://www.gotquestions.org/raising-Cain.html

    "What's the meaning of the phrase 'Raise Cain'?". "Phrase Finder". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/raising-cain.html
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    Host:

    Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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    Technical information:

    Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, Levelator, Audyllic, and Soften. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Rode Procaster.
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    Keywords:

    Cain, Abel, Bible, Old Testament, Genesis,
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    10 mins
  • Origin and Meaning of "Pie in the Sky" Plus Word of The Day

    Origin and Meaning of "Pie in the Sky" Plus Word of The Day
    Sep 22 2025
    In this episode you discover the true meaning and origin of the phrase, "Pie in the Sky". In addition, you'll discover the meaning of two vocabulary words, Lugubrious and Montage.

    Resources:

    "Pie In The Sky: Definition, Meaning, and Origin". "U.S. Dictionary". Link: https://usdictionary.com/idioms/pie-in-the-sky/

    "Pie in the sky". "Phrase Finder". Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/pie-in-the-sky.html

    "Joe Hill- The Preacher and the Slave (Performed by Utah Phillips). YouTube.com. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2tyW-68iik&list=RDM2tyW-68iik&start_radio=1
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    Host:

    Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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    Technical information:

    Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Edits included "Smooth" at 30%. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, Levelator, and Audyllic. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Rode Procaster.
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    Key word: Joe Hill,
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    10 mins
  • Origin and Meaning of "Paint the Town" Plus Word of the Day

    Origin and Meaning of "Paint the Town" Plus Word of the Day
    Jul 22 2025
    In this episode you discover the true meaning and origin of "Paint the town" and "Paint the town red".

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    Sources:

    "Paint the town red". Phrases.org. Link: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/paint-the-town-red.html

    "A HYPOTHESIS AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE PHRASE ‘TO PAINT THE TOWN RED’". "Word Histories". https://wordhistories.net/2016/08/26/paint-the-town-red/#:~:text=7%2D:%20A%20SPREE%20AT%20MELTON%20MOWBRAY%2C%20LEICESTERSHIRE%2C%20IN%201837&text=an%20actual%20piece%20of%20drunken,and%20only%20Paint%20at%20Night.&text=Untouched%20by%20something%20most%20appalling

    "Why do we say ‘Paint the town red’?". "History Extra". Link: https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/paint-town-red-why-say-origins-meaning-history/
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    Host:

    Stephen Carter - Website: https://StressReliefRadio.com - Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
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    Technical information:

    Recording and initial edits with Twisted Wave. Additional edits with Amadeus Pro, Hush, and Levelator. Final edits and rendering with Hindenburg Pro. Microphone: Earthworks Ethos.
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    Key words:

    Paint the town red, Marquis_of_Waterford,
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins