Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a founding father, but he never became president. A riddle was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on July 6, 2017: Q: How do you begin a politically incorrect joke?A:…
The Dennis the Menace comic strip by Hank Ketcham (1920-2001), on June 14, 1952, had Dennis tell his friend Joey a now-classic observation about Father's Day: "Father's Day? Well,…
Some employees give their co-workers the "silent treatment" -- they don't talk to them. "Giving co-workers the silent treatment by sending them blank emails" is a jocular…
A joke about the meaning of "a quarter" has been printed on several images. The joke originated on the Sickipedia website and was posted on Twitter on November 7, 2011: "I won $2…
"Sore. The most satisfying feeling" is an exercise saying that has been printed on many images. "Sore, The most satisfying pain" is a similar saying. TwitterKyy@kurlykyyBeing…
There are several jokes about high gas prices. "My wife wanted me to take her somewhere expensive last night. I took her to the gas station" is a joke that has been printed on many…
A company that’s bankrupt and closes is said to have “gone under” (as if buried). There are several submarine ("sub") sandwich shop jokes. "The inventor of the submarine…
Many people find that parallel parking is difficult. "I'd rather let someone see me naked than parallel park" is a saying that has been printed on an image. "I'd rather…
"LED" usually stands for "light-emitting diodes." Many computer screens are LED screens. Joe Imbriano, of The Fullerton Informer YouTube channel, said on a July 3, 2018 video…
Canadians have a reputation for saying "sorry" and "eh." "'So sore, eh.' - Some Canadian who's a little funny" was posted on Twitter on December 8,…
"QAnon" refers to an anonymous person who has "Q" clearance (a high U.S. security clearance) and who shares some of this classified information on the internet. Some people have…
"Eat whatever you want, and if anyone/someone tries to lecture you about your weight, eat them too" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "Diet ideas: Eat…
The internet is often compared to the "real world." Noah Smith posted an observation on Twitter on August 28, 2017 that immediately went viral: "15 years ago, the internet was an…
"Prawn" sounds to some like "pawn." A riddle has been cited in print since at least 2001: Q: Where do shellfish go to borrow money?A: The prawn broker. “How could the dolphin…
Many people can't stand crying babies at the movies. "A movie ticket for baby should cost at least $50" -- that is, an expensive price to discourage parents from taking babies to the…
A cake riddle is: Q: How much of the cake did the sword want?A: Just a slice. The riddle was posted on Twitter by Sagittarius on November 1, 2017. TwitterSagittarius@Otoya808@dadtellsjokes How much…
A time pun was posted on Reddit -- Jokes on June 11, 2016: "How long have you been chopping wood for?""I'm not sure, I'll check the logs." The joke was posted on…
"Some things are better left unsaid, but I'll probably get drunk and say them anyway" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "Some things are better left…
Is the U.S. government an insurance company? It pays out Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security -- and it has an army. Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Peter R. Fisher said at the Columbus Council…
"You remind me of a penny -- two-faced and not worth much" (or "You remind me of a penny -- two-faced and worthless") has is an expression that has been printed on many images.…