Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Some people seem to honk a car in front of them at a red light before the light turns green. "Brooklyn is the only city where sound travels faster than light.The fella behind me honks 9…
Both falafel and hummus usually contain chickpeas. "Falafel with hummus. Eating fried chickpeas with chickpea paste. #neverthoughtofthat" was posted on Twitter on September 24, 2013.…
A joke about the Scottish accent is: SCOTSMAN (at a bakery): Is that a custard or a meringue?ENGLISHMAN: You’re not wrong. It’s a custard. "Or a meringue?" sounds like "Or am I…
A "micromanager" is someone who pays attention to the smallest ("micro") details. The term doesn't mean a "small manager," but there have been several jokes.…
"A4" is a popular paper size. "A joke about paper? You might have gotten an A4 effort!" is a pun that was posted on Twitter on October 23, 2012. "I tried to design a piece…
The Italian dessert "tiramisu" sometimes becomes "terrormisu" (terror + tiramisu) for Halloween. "Terror-Misu" was printed in the Los Angeles (CA) Times on May 30,…
Computer users hate when the computer freezes up as it is "buffering." "The only thing worse than a buffering video is a buffering ad before the video!" was posted on Twitter on…
"Do you run? Yes. Out of patience, fucks and money" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images -- especially running shirts. "Do I run?Yes. Out of patience,fucks and…
Rice (for dinner) is sometimes compared to cereal (for breakfast). "'Is rice dinner cereal?' -- my dad, 03/13/2016" was posted on Twitter on March 13, 2016. "Rice is just…
A music riddle is: Q: What do you call a group of musicians who stole all of their instruments?A: Bandits. The word "bandits" is meant to be a pun on the word "band." "What…
"Do you run? Yes. Out of patience, fucks and money" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images -- especially running shirts. "Do I run?Yes. Out of patience,fucks and…
The disease of "cirrhosis" sounds like "Sir Rhosis" (a jocular name that has been cited in print since at least 1968). "Sir Rhosis of Liverwhoorst" was posted on the…
Egg rolls are sometimes said to be the crusty version of cole slaw. "Veggie spring roll is like Asian version of deep fried cole slaw" was posted on Twitter on December 3, 2009. "I…
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"/"To get to the other side" is a classic riddle from the 19th century. A WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) version is: Q: Why did the WASP…
A gay bar riddle is: Q: What do you call a bouncer at a gay bar?A: A flamethrower. The joke -- based on the old gay slang of "flaming faggot" -- was posted on the newsgroup rec.humor on…
If someone could time travel, then wouldn't it make sense to play the lottery and win a lot of money? "What if the lottery is an Institution to catch Time Travelers?" was posted on…
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"/"To get to the other side" is a classic riddle from the 19th century. A tachyon (a particle faster than light) version is: Q: Why did the…
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"/"To get to the other side" is a classic riddle from the 19th century. A WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) version is: Q: Why did the WASP…
Fruits are sometimes called "plant ovaries." "Botanically, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, kiwis and currants are all berries; they are single fruits derived from the plant's…
"Success is like a fart. It only bothers people when it's not their own" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "J. B. Steam's Homily: Success is like a…