Curry FavorThe spicy misunderstanding involving a medieval horse

From the show

History of Phrases

This phrase has nothing to do with cuisine. It began as "Curry Favel," referencing a nightmarish horse from a 1300s French satire that embodied moral corruption. Characters in the story would "curry" (comb) the beast's coat to gain power. We explore how a literal stable chore for a fictional monster evolved into the modern idiom for insincere flattery.