CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER AND PHRASEOLOGY Part I

Of late I´ve gotten into the habit of lulling myself to sleep by listening to CBS Mystery Theater Radio programs of the 60s and 70s on YouTube, hosted by the late actor E. G. Marshall (1914-1998). The acting is top-notch and more often than not, the plots are clever and well-thought-out, and I say this in spite of the fact that I don´t go for this kind of literature.  When I am drowsing off, some expressions and turns of phrase bring me back from my slumbers and I quickly jot them down for morning perusal. May I add that I seldom get to the mystery's denouement because halfway I fall into a deep sleep?

Last night a woman character cracked a bottle of champagne and said to her partner: "Here´s looking at you!" I sprang up and jotted the expression down in my notebook, thinking the meaning was "here´s mud in your eye", and that´s probably what the scriptwriter had in mind.

But this morning I rolled up my sleeves and did serious research, and to my astonishment, I came across some interesting phraseological lore. (To be continued.)