Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A penicillin joke was told in 1959 by an unknown jokester: "Son, there's got to be a future for you. After all, they make penicillin out of moldy bread!" Bronx-born comedian Milt…
"Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up" is a quotation that has been attributed to American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016). The quoation has been cited in…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Cutchogue, New YorkCutchogue is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 3,349 at the 2010…
“Pastryarchy” is a portmanteau of “pastry” and “patriarchy.” "SMASH THE PASTRYARCHY" was posted on Twitter by B-Cam on May 31, 2010. "#pastryarchy" (and a link to…
American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) said in his autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story (1975): "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: ScrabbleScrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles bearing a single letter onto a board divided into a 15×15 grid of…
"I have a lot of jokes about unemployed people, but none of them work" is a jocular line that has been printed on many images. "I thought up a lot of jokes about unemployed people,…
"When pigs fly" is an old saying about an impossibility and a time that never comes. There is a joke: "Pigs can fly... They just gotta pay for two seats." "Pigs CAN fly.…
A "soft drink" isn't necessarily physically soft, but there's a joke: "Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Hunter College (New York, NY)Ruth SidelRuth Sidel received her B A. from Wellesley College, her M.S.W. from the Boston University School of Social Work, and her Ph.D. from…
American boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), nearing the end of his career, told the New York (NY) Times on April 6, 1977: "It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I…
"Whoa, Nelly!" (or "Whoa, Nellie!") is what a rider might say to a horse to get it to stop. Many horses in the 19th century were called "Nelly." "Whoa,…
"Eighth theist" and "eight theist" are puns for "atheist." "Eighth-Theist (n.) - Someone who only believes in God 12-1/2% of the time" was cited on Twitter…
"If it's flooded, forget it" means that if a street is flooded, it's not safe to drive on. The adage was started by the Queensland (Australia) Fire and Emergency Services in…
"Instant asshole -- just add alcohol" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "The buttons have sayings on them: 'Are We Having Fun Yet?' 'Instant…
American political commentator Charles Krauthammer said at a McGill University COnvocation on June 14, 1993: "In the old Soviet Union, where the commissars would routinely rewrite and…
France has been invaded several times and there's a classic war joke: Q: Why do the French have so many civil wars?A: So that they can win one. English actor and comedian John Cleese (a…
A joke about hard cider is: Q: How do you make hard cider?A: Put it in the freezer. "How do you make hard cider? .................. Freeze it" was cited on Twitter on April 22, 2011. The…
Jokes about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center are often in questionable taste, but a frequent joke is told about the American rock band 311 (from Omaha, Nebraska):…
The race for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination provided a choice between Hillary Clinton (the establishment candidate) and Bernie Sanders (the anti-establishment candidate). Many Sanders…