Volume VIII

I. Took him to the woodshed 🪵 

This phrase originates from early 20th-century rural America, a time when disciplining a child wasn’t as simple as taking away an iPad. Instead, it often involved physical correction. Fathers would sometimes take a misbehaving child to a secluded spot, usually behind the house, and administer punishment, typically in the form of a spanking or beating.

Over time, the phrase evolved into a metaphor, referring to someone being harshly scolded or a team being convincingly beaten. Think of Rafael Nadal’s dominant straight-set victory over Novak Djokovic at the 2020 French Open. The Serbian wasn’t just defeated; he was taken to the woodshed.

II. Highway robbery 🛣️

Before they were lined with gas stations, rest stops and roadkill, highways were literal dirt paths where travelers risked getting held up by masked bandits on horseback. These guys were interested in one thing: making off with your money.

And while the horse-riding robbers have been replaced by an overpriced ticket to the garden and airport food, that feeling in your bones remains the same as it did on those dusty highways years ago. Not only are you being taken for your money, but also your dignity — and there’s nothing you can do about it.

III. Elephant in the room 🐘

There’s no zoo pass required for this one, just a knack for avoiding awkward conversations. The phrase “elephant in the room” refers to something so massive and unmissable that everyone pretends not to see—like the breakup no one’s mentioned or Ryan’s third “career pivot” in as many years.

It traces back to an 1814 Russian fable by Ivan Krylov, where a man fails to notice an actual elephant while obsessing over smaller curiosities. The translated English version lumbered in some time around the 20th century and decidedly never left. So next time the rooms tension is thick enough that you could cut it with a tusk just know you’ve found the elephant.

As always, be a gent (or kind lady) and forward to a friend. We know you have some.