Behind The 8 Ball

Appraise The Phrase · Nov 4, 2026 · 1h 20m

This episode of Appraise The Phrase is about the history of the phrase "behind the eight ball". Mario and Twenty are joined by Brandon Miller to unveil the origin, confirm the meaning, and assess the value of "behind the eight ball" and it does not come from the game you are picturing.

It comes from Kelly pool, invented in Chicago in 1893 by a man named Calistus Mulvaney, who nobody called Calistus. Sixteen numbered markers, called peas or pills, go into a bottle, and every player draws one in secret before a single shot is taken. That number is your ball, and the balls have to come off the…