Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreakThe 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A popular version involving a horse is: "A horse walks into a bar and the barman says,…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A popular version involving a horse is: "A horse walks into a bar and the barman says,…
New Orleans, Louisiana, had yellow fever epidemics in 1853, 1854, 1855 1858, and it's sometimes said that the city was nicknamed "Necropolis of the South." However, there is not a…
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in some businesses being declared essential, and others as non-essential (and illegal). "From Facebook: Marijuana is now legal, but not haircuts.…
A riddle was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on May 11, 2020: Q: What's the difference between jam and jelly?A: I ain't never been caught in a traffic jelly. There usually is no such thing as…
Pancakes aren't made of pans, but there are jokes. "I bought a pancake but had to take it back to the shops.... Didn't taste anything like a pan" was posted on Twitter by 3AM on…
An iMac has nothing to do with macaroni and cheese, but there are jokes. "I just spilled some mozzarella from my pizza onto my laptop. Henceforth, I shall call my laptop Mac 'n'…
A "consolation prize" is not a "constellation prize," but there are jokes. "The astronomer's research project didn't win him the coveted Galaxy Award, but he did…
Ctrl-P (print) sounds like "control pee." "Microsoft discriminates against incontinent people, with the continued insistence that they control pee to print" was posted on…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreakThe 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute…
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in changes to many grocery stores, such as one-way aisles. "Okay, if we're going to have one-way grocery aisles then I'm going to need a…
The expression "sound advice" usually doesn't literally involve sound, but there are jokes. This was posted on Twitter by Reverend Scott on June 20, 2016: SON: The car's manual…
An iMac has nothing to do with macaroni and cheese, but there are jokes. "I just spilled some mozzarella from my pizza onto my laptop. Henceforth, I shall call my laptop Mac 'n'…
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic caused many public schools to be closed. Students were homeschooled and went to online classes. "What can the coronavirus do that the us government…
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic cancelled the travel plans of many people. "Travel plans: To the window, to the wall, then I might go down the hall" is a jocular saying that was…
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in many people being quarantined in their homes. The garbage and recycling bins left the home more than many people. "2020: The year your wheelie…
A "consolation prize" is not a "constellation prize," but there are jokes. "The astronomer's research project didn't win him the coveted Galaxy Award, but he did…
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic changed many people's lives -- but not all people's lives. "You never realize how anti-social you are until there's a pandemic and your life…
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic required many people to use "social distancing" (standing six feet away). Many people also practiced "media distancing," especially those who…