Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A husband's joke about a wife's cooking was posted on Twitter on July 31, 2016: "My wife asked if she could have a little peace and quiet while she cooked dinner. So I took the…
"Oh, I'm glad I'm not a turkey" is a Thanksgiving song of unknown authorship and date. The melody is similar to the songs "Did You Ever See a Lassie?" and "Oh du…
A Thanksgiving poem beginning "For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped..." has been cited in print since at least 1884, when it was credited to Harper's Weekly. 21…
A popular Thanksgiving riddle is: Q: What sound does a turkey's cell phone make?A: WING WING!! The riddle has been cited in print since at least 2006. Brownielocks -- Thanksgiving Riddles and…
A joke on Canadian speech is that Canadians are rich in "Vitamin Eh?" (a pun on "Vitamin A"). "Vitamin Eh" was printed in the The Globe and Mail (Toronto, ON) on July…
"Thanksgiving dinner is a unique experience. It's like an orgy that's rated G" was published in 2400 Jokes to Brighten Your Speeches (1984) by Robert Orben. The Thanksgiving…
A popular Thanksgiving (or church) poem of unknown authorship has been cited in print since at least 1969: Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead of your losses.…
"How do flags talk to each other, they dont, they just wave!" is a flag riddle that was posted on Twitter on July 9, 2010. "Q: How do flags communicate? A: They wave!…
"Cauliflower" sounds like "collie flour." "Dog biscuits are made out of collie-flour" is a pun that has been cited in print since at least 1928. A riddle was printed…
A printer's toner cannot be used to tone up a person's body, but there has been a joke: "The man leaned on the printer cartridge because he wanted to tone up his abs." The joke…
A popular "yo mama" insult "poor joke" is: "Yo mama's so poor, your family ate cereal with a fork to save milk." The joke was posted on the newsgroup rec.humor on…
Pancakes have been called the morning or breakfast version of pizza. "Pancakes are just morning pizzas with syrup instead of cheese...brilliant move, whoever!" was posted on Twitter on…
A pun on the word "mull" was posted on Twitter on August 23, 2009: "I couldn't decide whether or not to make spiced apple cider, so I mulled it over." Wiktionary: mull…
The first french fries were made in France, right? Not according to a popular joke. A riddle has been cited in print since at least 1976: Q: Where were the first French fries made? A: In Greece…
"Hollywood on the Hudson" was the nickname of the proposed park and entertainment center over the dilapidated Pier 55 on the Hudson River off Manhattan. The project was backed by…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Staten Island TunnelThe Staten Island Tunnel is an abandoned, incomplete railway/subway tunnel in New York City. It was intended to connect railways on Staten…
"Easy Pass" is the nickname given to a school program that helps students pass without doing much work. The name "Easy Pass" is similar to the name of the E-ZPass electronic…
A popular marriage joke was posted on the newsgroup alt.humor.jewish on November 4, 2000: "My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God, and I didn't."…
“Man works from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done” is a popular saying from the 19th century. A jocular, male-oriented twist on the saying is: "They say a woman's work is…
"Kurt 'n' Rod" is an appropriate name (aptronym) for "curtain rod." "Kurt N Rod" was the name of a horse in 1966. A riddle version was posted on the…