Tallulah Bankhead

Question: Here's something I'd like to settle. Where did the phrase "bigger than a bread box" come from? My mom says it's from an old show, but since she can't remember which one, I'm not sure if she's right or not. I figured you would know since you know everything. Thanks.

Answer: Always listen to your mother, Carrie. Well, except for when she's wrong, but this ain't one of those times. "Is it bigger than a bread box?" was made famous by the late Steve Allen during his appearances on the classic game show What's My Line?, which debuted on CBS in February 1950 and, at its zenith, was wildly popular among the privileged class and hoi polloi alike.

In case your mom can't give you a refresher, the show's premise was simple. A person with an interesting occupation was brought on and a panel of regulars tried to guess what the job was while asking only yes-or-n read more