Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
There's an old joke about boomerangs: Q: What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A: A stick. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1984. Google News Archive4 February…
An old joke or an old person is truly old if it or he had been around "since the Dead Sea was only sick." "You was born before the Dead sea was taken sick" was cited in print in…
It's a simple bit of civics: "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends' noses." The silly saying has an unknown origin.…
Entry in progress -- B.P. 16 October 1984, The Times of India (New Delhi), "Current Topics, pg. 6, col. 2:MARK TWAIN once remarked that statistics are like ladies of the night. You can bend…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A chemist version is: "A chemist walks into a bar and asks, 'Do you have any…
A popular email joke about the term "cc" (carbon copy) is: Q: Who's the patron saint of email?A: Francis of a CC. Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) never sent an email, of course.…
"Revenge is sweet" is a proverb that dates to at least the 16th century. "Revenge, why can't diabetics get revenge? Because revenge is sweet!!!" was cited on Twitter on…
The expression to cost "an arm and a leg" means something very expensive. A popular cannibal joke is: "Have you heard about the cannibal restaurant? Dinner costs an arm and a…
A popular Passover joke is: Q: What do you call someone who derives pleasure from the bread of affliction?A: A matzochist. The "matzochist" (matzo + masochist) joke has been cited in…
"Get cracking" (or "get crackin'") means to get started (or "get to work"). The "cracking" probably comes from the crack of the whip, as applied to…
A popular workplace joke is: Q: What's the difference between the Pope and your boss?A: The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring. That is, your boss wants you to kiss his ass. The joke has…
A popular lawyer joke is: Q. What is the ideal weight of a lawyer?A. About three pounds, including the urn. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1994. Google Books The Postal…
Abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) is frequently credited for the admonition to escaped slaves traveling in the Underground Railroad: "Children, if you are tired. keep going. If you are…
American abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) is often credited with saying: "I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves." There…
A quote about dreams appeared in the Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press on October 15, 2005: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the…
"Noah" saounds like "know a," prompting this pun that was viral on Twitter on September 8, 2010: "Do you need to build an ark to save two of every creature? I Noah…
"'Let's eat, grandma' or 'let's eat grandma' -- punctuation saves lives!" (or "commas save lives") has been printed on many images.…
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an organization that generally tries to raise oil prices and make more money for its member countries. On April 20, 2016, it was…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A version involving prolific inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) is: "Thomas Edison…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A science joke is: "A non-renewable natural resource walks into a bar and orders a…