The Big Apple:

An etymological dictionary

Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.

“But first, coffee”

"But first, coffee" is a one-line coffee saying that has been printed on many images. The origin of the meme is unclear, but it became known by the 1990s. A 1994 translation of the 19th…

“Run? I thought they said rum”

"Run? I thought they/you said rum" is a jocular saying about running that has been printed on many images. The origin of the saying is uncertain, but “Run? I thought they said Rum!”…

“There is no ‘we’ in pizza”

“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team‘“ is a popular sports saying, meaning that teamwork is important, not selfishness. "There is no 'we' in pizza" is a jocular saying for…