Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A popular college saying is: Q: What’s the difference between a college freshman and a high school senior?A: Three months of summer vacation. That is, there is not much time to prepare for…
The Red Cross (the American Red Cross in the United States) provides emergency assistance and disaster relief, but many people state that Red Cross donations do not reach disaster victims.…
"Six million Jews" is the frequent number that is given for number of Jews who died in World War II (The Holocaust). Some people have disputed that number, while others -- such as this…
A riddle about a drummer has been cited in print since 1858: Q: Why is a drummer the fastest man in the world? A: Because time beats all men, but the drummer beats time. "Who is the fastest…
Brushing one’s teeth with toothpaste and then drinking orange juice results in an unpleasant taste, but it’s usually not fatal. “Toothpaste before orange juice equals death” is a one-line…
A jocular definition of "crowbar" is: Q: What is a crowbar?A: A place where crows got to get a drink. Forms of the joke/pun/riddle have been cited in print since at least 1890. "True…
"Singing is like talking in cursive lol #WeirdThought" is a saying that was posted on Twitter on October 3, 2011. "Singing is like talking in cursive" was posted on Reddit --…
"Spoiler alert" is a warning that the plot of a drama is about to be revealed. "Spoiler" alerts usually don't involve food, but there are several jokes. "SPOILER…
"Feta" is a cheese used in Greek salad. The plural of "fetus" is "fetuses" or "feti" -- not "feta." A joke was posted on the newsgroup…
The Greek "gyro" (meat wrapped in a pita) has been compared to the Mexican "taco" (meat -- or some other filling -- wrapped in a tortilla). "Greek taco -- a gyro" was…
Vegans have a reputation of telling everyone that they're vegans. “How do you know if someone is a vegan?"/"Don’t worry, they’ll tell you" is a popular joke. "Vegans…
A recipe riddle is: Q: What ghost is handy in the kitchen?A: A recipe spook. The "recipe spook" joke has been cited in print since at least 2007. 2 Funny 4 UCategory: Food jokesDate…
Hummus and pita bread is, to some people, like peanut butter on sliced bread (or a roll). "Pita butter" sounds like "peanut butter." "New word for hummus: pita butter.…
"The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades" is a one-line saying that has been printed on many images. It's not known who first told the joke. New York…
"Black Friday" is the name of the busy shopping day after Thanksgiving, but there were other Black Fridays. The financial term "Black Friday" was popularized in the United…
"Ingest" sounds like "in jest." "I was going to write a joke about eating disorders, but it was tough to, in jest" was posted on Twitter on June 7, 2013. A riddle was…
The word "floret" (a cluster of flower buds) is pronounced in English as "floor it." In French, the word "floret" sounds like "floor-ay." There have been…
Barbecue sauce is often compared with ketchup. "Bbq sauce is like the mature form of ketchup" was posted on Twitter on January 24, 2012. "BBQ sauce is just a more evolved form of…
"I quit my job working at a helium factory. I refuse to be spoken to in that tone of voice" is a joke that has been printed on several images. The joke has been cited in print since at…
A riddle about honey is: Q: Why do bees have sticky hair?A: Because they use honeycombs. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1978, and has been printed on several images. Google…