Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Many companies have the "press 0" telephone option to speak to a live representative. Kent Graham posted on Twitter on September 4, 2014: "I think you press '0' to be…
The slogan of Reddit (a discussion website) is "The Front Page of the Internet." The slogan has not been trademarked. "Looking at: reddit all -- customizable front page of the…
"Gambling addiction hotlines would do better if every fifth caller was a winner" is a jocular one-line saying that was posted on Twitter by Jokes&Stuff FromJosh on January 23,…
There is chocolate milk, but there is also milk chocolate. "Chocolate is a flavor of milk. Milk is a flavor of chocolate" was posted on Reddit -- Shower Thoughts on September 2, 2014.…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A fruit punch version is: "A guy walks into a bar and orders fruit punch. The…
A robbery riddle is: Q: What kind of robbery is not dangerous?A: A safe robbery. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1869. 1 September 1869, Daily Eastern Argus (Portland, ME), pg. 4,…
"Coinstipated" or "coinstapated" (coin + constipated) has several definitions. "Coinstipated" was cited in print in 2008. "Coinstipated: The result of swallowing…
"When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right is of no consequence" is a political saying that has been printed on many images. “When the…
A music joke was posted on the newsgroup wny.events on February 2, 1997: Q: Why is a viola like a lawsuit?A: Everyone is happy when the case is closed. The joke has been told about other…
Entry in progress -- B.P. A Way with WordsBuy Someone for What They’re Worth and Sell Them for What They Think They’ll BringPosted by Grant Barrett on October 14, 2017For a clever way to…
Entry in progress -- B.P. A Way with WordsKid CheaterPosted by Grant Barrett on October 7, 2017Kid cheater and child cheater are synonyms for spatula, because when you’re baking a cake, a spatula…
"English Terrace Row" (or "Renwick Row") in Manhattan is located on West 10th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas). The row of houses was…
Entry in progress -- B.P. A Way with WordsDogueroPosted by grantbarrett on October 8, 2011New York seems to have a doguero on every street corner. Grant shares this Spanglish term for “a hot dog…
"Go on a date" doesn't mean to "go" (urinate) on a "date" (fruit), but there have been several puns. "Let's go on a date! I love urinating on fruit,…
An "apartment" is called a "flat" in the United Kingdom. A riddle is: Q: What do you get if you cross a trout with an apartment?A: A flat fish. The joke has been cited in print…
A riddle abut "rich milk" was print in a newspaper in 1972: Q: Why did the farmer feed money to his cow? A: He wanted rich milk. The riddle was worded differently in 1997: Q: Why did the…
American humorist and journalist Don Marquis (1878-1937) was one of New York City's first and most famous of newspaper columnists. He wrote the column "Sun Dial" for The Evening Sun…
A riddle abut "rich milk" was print in a newspaper in 1972: Q: Why did the farmer feed money to his cow? A: He wanted rich milk. The riddle was worded differently in 1997: Q: Why did the…
A pun about an abacus (a calculating tool) was posted on Twitter on February 22, 2010: "People think I'm weird because I swallowed an abacus. It's what's inside that…
"We don't know them all, but we owe them all" is a popular Memorial Day/Veterans Day saying that has been printed on many images. "We don't know them all, but we owe them…