“How do you do the wave at a chess match?”/“With your eyebrows.”
Sports fans in many stadiums do "the wave." There's a chess joke: Q: How do chess crowds do the wave?A: With their eyebrows. The joke was told by American columnist and author…
“From sewer to brewer”
"From sewer to brewer" is a concept that was developed at the University of Ghent in Belgium in 2015. Waste water is processed to make beer. "From Sewer To Brewer, now let's go…
“Who invented spaghetti?”/“Someone who used his noodle.”
"Noodle" is slang for the brain. A popular pun is: Q: Who invented spaghetti?A: Someone who used his noodle. The "noodle" joke has been cited in print since at least 1921. 22…
“How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?” (joke)
A well-known "light bulb" joke involving computer programmers is: Q: How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?A: None. That's a hardware problem. The joke has been…
“What’s the difference between John Wayne and Jack Daniels?” (joke)
American actor John Wayne (1907-1979) was famous for his portrayals of cowboys. Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey. A popular (sometimes politically incorrect) joke is: Q:…
“What do you get if you boil funnybones?”/“A laughing stock.”
A pun about funnybones is: Q: What do you get if you boil funnybones?A: A laughing stock. "Laughing stock is made by slow cooking leftover funny bones" was posted on Twitter on March 5,…
Trekathon (trek + marathon)
A "trekathon" (trek + marathon) is an extensive trek, usually up a mountain. "Trek-a-thon" has been cited in print since at least 1998. The website trekathon.com explained in…
“Do you want a Hurts donut?” (joke)
A popular donut oun is: PERSON A: Do you want a Hertz?Hurts donut/doughnut?PERSON B: Ummm, okay.PERSON A (hurts other person): Hurts, don't it? The joke has been cited in print since at least…
“There is no truth in news and no news in truth” (Russian Izvestia and Pravda adage)
The Soviet Union had two important propaganda newspapers. Pravda ("truth") was the communist party newspaper and was published between 1912 and 1991. Izvestia ("news") was the…
Babylon on the Make
American writer Lucius Beebe called New York City "Babylon on the make" in his column in the New York (NY) Herald Tribune on June 26, 1937. Beebe also used "Babylon on the make"…
Garden City (Chicago nickname)
Chicago, Illinois has used the Latin motto "Urbs in Horto" (city in a garden) since 1837. There weren't many gardens and there wasn't much city, but Chicago had aspirations.…
Chi-raq (Chicago nickname)
"Chi-raq" or "Chiraq" (Chicago + Iraq) is a Chicago nickname that compares the violence of Chicago in the 2000s to the war-town country of Iraq. It's not known who first…
Chiberia (Chicago nickname)
"Chiberia (Chicago + Siberia) is a nickname that has been used during Chicago's winter storms. Siberia is a cold place and is often used as a weather metonym. "Chi-beria. Yeah, you…
Paris on the Prairie (Chicago nickname)
St. Louis, Missouri was called "Paris on the Prairie" in 1867. Denver, Colorado was called "Paris on the prairie" in 1894. Daniel Burnham (1846-1912) co-authored a 1909 Plan of…
Second City (Chicago nickname)
THe term "second city" usually refers to a nation's second most populous city. New York City has always been the first city after every United States census. From 1890 until 1990,…
Chi-Town (Chicago nickname)
Chicago is sometimes called "Chi-town." "Chi" (for Chicago) is pronounced "shy." "The 'Chi' town men who were going down to St. Louis" was printed…
City on the Make (Chicago nickname)
American author Lucius Beebe (1902-1966) called New York City "Babylon on the Make" in 1937 and several times in the 1940s. Atlanta was called a "city on the make" in…
City That Works (Chicago nickname)
Several cities have been called a "city that works." The expression can mean that the city has a strong manufacturing base, or that the city efficiently delivers municipal services.…
Party of the Year (Met Gala nickname)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has held an annual fundraiser since 1948, called the Costume Institute Gala, but usually known as the "Met Gala" or "Met…
Oscars of the East Coast (Met Gala nickname)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has held an annual fundraiser since 1948, called the Costume Institute Gala, but usually known as the "Met Gala" or "Met…