Volume XLII

I. Bring Home the Bacon 🐷

In 19th-century America, bacon wasn’t just something you throw on a bagel at your bodega—it was the protein keeping some families alive. So “your bacon” quietly became slang for the stuff you hustled for, the same way “bread” became slang for money.

And if you want an older example of people treating bacon like treasure, look to Great Dunmow, England, where as far back as the 1200s married couples could win a whole side of bacon if they convinced the judges they hadn’t argued for a year and a day.

But the idiom we know didn’t really take off until 1906, when boxer Joe Gans got a telegram from his mother ahead of a major fight: “Joe, the eyes of the world are upon you. Bring home the bacon.”

Newspapers feasted, America copied, and now it’s go-to lingo for when someone needs to bring home the dough-re-mi.

II. Back to Square One ⚽️

Before TVs and Twitter highlight reels, the BBC had to get creative calling soccer games on the radio. They split the pitch into numbered “squares” on a diagram listeners kept at home so commentators could shout out the numbers as the ball moved, letting everyone track the play in real time.

And any time a possession fizzled and the ball got sent back to the keeper, it found itself in… square one.

Now synonymous with starting over, “back to square one” is an easy way to lighten the load when telling the folks you’re starting up that diet again, or that you’ve been laid off by work or a significant other alike, and are back on the market.

III. No Bones About It 🦴

This one goes all the way back to 16th-century Britain, where soup (much like today) was the comfort food of choice.

But diners had one major gripe: it wasn’t unusual to find a rogue bone lurking in the bowl. So when a cook promised a dish with “no bones about it,” you knew you were getting something smooth, clean, and exactly as advertised.

Fast-forward to the 2003 NBA Draft, when the expectations for LeBron James were “Hall of Famer or bust.” Twenty-two years later, it’s safe to say the King’s career has lived up to every bit of the hype — no bones about it.

Keep on sending on. Forward to a friend.