From Washington, D.C.
This is Lexicon Valley, a podcast about language.
I'm Bob Garfield with Mike Volo, who has a bet noir, a crow to pluck, a pet peeve that makes him madder than a wet hen.
His beef is with a common expression that you have undoubtedly heard
and almost certainly never given a second thought to.
But Mike has.
Has he ever?
Hey, Mikey.
Hey, Bobby.
How you doing?
Splendid.
Thank you.
And your own self?
I'm great.
I'm great.
Although it does sound like you're about to portray me as persnickety.
No, no. Heaven for fend.
I would say exacting, because I think it 's fair to say that when the subject is idiom,
you sometimes exhibit very low tolerance for the irrational.
Back in the day, we devoted an entire episode to you.