Coals to Newcastle

So, late last year, I started listening to podcasts. It took me a while to get on that bandwagon. Partly because there were so many options, I was a little overwhelmed. Partly because I wasn't sure I was interested in any of the options people were recommending to me. And partly because I was convinced I wouldn't be able to concentrate at work when I had to also focus on what I was listening to.

It turns out, I love podcasts. And sometimes my work is too involved to listen to them - but sometimes I'm doing stuff like data entry. And pods are perfect for that kind of thing.

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Anyway, my entry into podcasts were the Crooked Media company podcasts (Pod Save America, Lovett or Leave It, Pod Save the World, Pod Save the People, and With Friends Like These). They have since expanded since I started listening to them (yay!) but I've started wanting a little more variety in what I'm listening to. So, my brother and sister-in-law recommended a bundle of podcasts. I've tried some, but not all, of the ones that sounded interesting.

One of my favorites of these recommendations was Lexicon Valley by Slate. It's so cool. They talk about words and expressions, the etymology and history of these words and phrases. It is so, so cool. And one of my favorite things about this podcast is that they often use classic movies to cite usage (for instance, see how Cary Grant uses this expression in The Awful Truth - it was a really popular expression of the time). Anyway, listening to the podcast inspired me to write a brief blog post on expressions that I've heard. I'm going to just write about one and save the other for a rainy day (or busy week). This might be a recurring series that I include. It might be a one or two time deal. We'll see how it goes!

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So, last night, I watched The Philadelphia Story with two of my roommates. One of them had seen it and loved it a few years ago and so we were introducing the film to our newest roommate. I love The Philadelphia Story for many reasons, not the least of which is the excellent script. And I've learned some things from the script.

Today, we're going to talk about "coals to Newcastle." In the movie, when Jimmy Stewart's "Mike" Macaulay Connor goes to Cary Grant's C.K. Dexter Haven's house, armed with a bottle of champagne and a pretty hefty head start in the drinking department. Mike hands Dexter the bottle of champagne. Dexter places the champagne on the table. Mike looks at the table and says, "Oh! I wonder if I might have a drink." And then Dexter responds with, "Certainly. Coals to Newcastle."

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This is an expression that baffled me for years. And it wasn't until I was an adult and looked it up that it finally made sense and I finally got the joke. Newcastle was a major exporter of coal so the original expression of "carrying coals to Newcastle" indicated a pointless action. Similar to "selling ice to eskimos." Dexter's line took on actual meaning when I finally understood what he was talking about.

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What words or expressions have you learned from watching classic movies?