Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"Santapplause" (Santa Claus + applause) is a Christmas portmanteau word. "Broadway Santapplause" was used by New York-born gossip columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) in 1946.…
"No matter how much it rains, there's a place in you that never stops shining" is an inspirational and motivational saying that has been printed on many images. "There is a…
"Sometimes all you need is a hug" is an old saying. "Sometimes all you need is a hug from the right person and all your stress will melt away" is an inspirational saying that…
A hot air balloon shouldn't be confused with a hot air baboon. A riddle is: Q: What do you call a flying monkey?A: A hot air baboon. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1992.…
People dance at a ball, but a "crystal ball" pun is: Q: Where do fortune tellers dance?A: At the crystal ball. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1984. Google BooksThe…
Jelly wobbles, but it usually doesn't fly like a helicopter. A popular food riddle is: Q: What wobbles when it flies?A: A jelly-copter. The "jellycopter" joke has been cited in print…
A knock-knock joke has been cited in print since at least 1976: Knock, knock.Who's there?Ya.Ya who?What are you so happy about? The joke became relevant to Yahoo.com in this version posted on…
A corn riddle is: Q: Why shouldn't you tell a secret in a cornfield?A: Because the corn has ears. The corn pun is an old classic. "Tell not your secrets in a corn-field; it has thousands…
Jelly wobbles, but it usually doesn't fly like a helicopter. A popular food riddle is: Q: What wobbles when it flies?A: A jelly-copter. The "jellycopter" joke has been cited in print…
Remote controls are usually found in remote locations. "The best place to keep a remote control is in a remote location!" was posted on Twitter on June 9, 2011. "They call it a…
"If procrastination was/were an Olympic sport..." is the start of a joke that has been printed on many images. "If procrastination were an olympic sport, I'd take home the…
"If procrastination was/were an Olympic sport..." is the start of a joke that has been printed on many images. "If procrastination were an olympic sport, I'd take home the…
A "penalty" is not a tea drink ("penaltea"), but there have been several puns. A football/soccer riddle has been cited in print since at least 2001 and has been printed on many…
"Call me a taxi."/"You're a taxi!" is an old joke. Uber is a global taxi technology company. American journalist James Lileks wrote in the StarTribune (Minneapolis, MN) on…
Both London and New York City either have or had newspapers called The Mirror and The Sun. A joke was posted on Twitter by Sickipedia_Feed on March 24, 2012: "Whats a Vampires least…
To be "shit-faced" drunk is to be very drunk. A politically incorrect joke was posted on the newsgroup rec.humor on May 31, 1991: "These two condoms are walking down the street, and…
"Seasoned" fries get that name from seasonings, not from experience. "$3.95 is fine for fresh-faced rookie fries, but these have seen the ups and downs of the industry. They're…
A tricycle is a vehicle with three wheels. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" is a common saying. 'Wheel, wheel, wheel, what do we have here?' 'A tricycle…
"It was so hot in New York that the Statue of Liberty..." has been the start of many jokes. "It was so hot here in New York today, the Statue of Liberty was wearing shorts and a…
"It was so hot in New York that the Statue of Liberty..." has been the start of many jokes. "It was so hot here in New York today, the Statue of Liberty was wearing shorts and a…