Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Stephen Colbert said in a "Stephen's Sound Advice" comedy segment on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report on June 3, 2008: "Try an internship. Internships give you all the…
An "eggspresso" (egg + espresso) is a shot of espresso inside of a chocolate Easter egg. Campos Coffee (Australia) tweeted about its "eggspresso" on April 4, 2012. Karvan Coffee…
American comedian Garry Shandling (1949-2016) told a joke on a comedy special in 1989: ''I made love for an hour and 15 minutes. Well, it was on the day you push the clocks ahead."…
The United States one hundred-dollar bill has American founding father Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790) on the obverse side of the bill. There is a joke: Q: What do you call a circle of US $100 bills?…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A joke involving Jesus (who can turn water into wine) is: "Jesus walks into a bar and…
"Anemone" sounds like "any money," prompting the joke: Q: Why couldn't the clownfish afford a house?A: Because he didn't have anemone. The joke was cited on Twitter on…
A popular riddle is: Q: What has a head and a tail, but no body?A: A coin. The riddle was cited in print in 1918 and published in many newspapers in 1940. 10 March 1918, The Daily Nonpareil…
A knock-knock joke involving cash (and cashews) is: "Knock, knock.""Who's there?""Cash.""Cash who?""What are you, some kind of nut?" The joke…
A "man-eating fish" is quite different from a "man eating fish." There's a joke: Q: Where's the best place to see a man-eating fish?A: A seafood restaurant. "And…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A limbo dancer version of the joke is: "A limbo dancer walked into a bar...and got…
A classic rain riddle was printed in The Independent (New York, NY) on November 12, 1891: Q: What goes up when rain comes down?A: Umbrellas. "What goes up when the rain comes down? An…
A popular children's joke about the weather is: Q: What kind of shorts do clouds wear?A: Thunderwear. The "thunderwear" joke has been cited in print since at least 1990. The joke has…
The potato has a few "-tater" jokes, such as: Q: What do you call an everyday potato?A: A commentator. "Common-tater" was cited in print in 1991. "Definition of a…
A joke about a hot dog stand is: Q: How do you make a hot dog stand?A: Take away its chair. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1980. "How do you make a bandstand?" is a…
One lawyer joke is: Q: How are an apple and a lawyer alike?A: They both look good hanging from a tree. The lawyer joke has been cited in print from at least September 1998. Other versions of the…
"I am not an unemployed alcoholic, I am a bartender who works from home" is a jocular line that was cited on Twitter by comedy wirter Richard Day on January 27, 2010. "I'm not…
Minnesota, a state along the northern border of the United States with Canada, is called the "North Star State." Polaris, called the "Pole Star" or the "North Star,"…
Many Italian men are named "Tony." There's a politically incorrect joke: Q: Why are most Italian men called "Tony"?A: Because they were sent to Ellis Island with "To…
A children's food joke involving leeks -- which sounds like "leaks" -- is: Q: What's the worst vegetable to bring on a boat?A: A leek. The joke was cited in print in 1892 and…
A popular lawyer joke is: Q: What's the difference between a tick and a lawyer? A: The tick drops off when you're dead. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1994. Google Books…