PITS (Philippines + Indonesia + Thailand + Singapore)
The acronym “PIT” (Philippines + Indonesia + Thailand) stands for the economies of these three ASEAN nations and has been cited in print since at least December 2001, when the term was used by…
Retirement Spending Smile
David Blanchett, head of retirement research at Morningstar Investment Management in Chicago, Illinois, coined the term "retirement spending smile" in 2013. Retirees usually have less…
“Freshmen want to play, sophomores want to start, juniors want to score and seniors want to win”
A 2006 book about Notre Dame college football stated an uncredited adage: "Freshmen just want to play and earn a letter. Sophomores want to start. Juniors want to win. And seniors are…
“Guinness doesn’t travel well” (drink adage)
Guinness is a favorite drink in Dublin, Ireland. Although Guinness is available in many countries, many people insist that only the Dublin product is the true Guinness. 'Guinness doesn't…
“From ‘How did I get here?’ to ‘How did they get here?’” (Washington politics)
An old political joke has a newcomer elected to Washington, DC. The newly elected member looks around and sees all the famous politicians. "How did I get here?" the member asks himself,…
Criminalgo (criminal + algo)
Algorithmic trading systems ("algos") use mathematical formulas to buy and sell securities. High-frequency trading (HFT) is a type of algorithmic trading (or "algo") that uses…
“Shoot pool with a rope” (an impossible task)
You can't shoot pool with a rope, just as you can't push a string and you can't push spaghetti. The "shoot pool with a rope" line has become a popular remark about male…
“Nothing as stupid as an educated man if you get him off the thing he was educated in”
Academics specialize, but are often clueless in areas outside of this specialized knowledge. American humorist Will Rogers (1873-1935) pointed this out in a July 1931 newspaper column, where he…
Bee Vomit (honey)
Honey has been called "bee vomit" -- often in jest -- since at least 1982. Some honey products have had "bee vomit" on the label, and "Honey is really just bee vomit"…
Hanukkah Gelt
Jewish children celebrating Hanukkah or Chanukah (the Festival of Lights) traditionally have received "Hanukkah gelt" (money), which the children would spend on candies or on a charitable…
“We’re working to develop a university the football team can be proud of”
A higher education joke asks: Is it a university with a football team, or a football team with a university? Dr. Charles Dan Procter, president of the Oklahoma College for Women (now the University…
“How do you eat an elephant?”/“One bite at a time”
"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time," a popular saying has it. The proverb means that giant tasks can be accomplished if done a little at a time. Frank Cody, Detroit's…
“Give a hoot, don’t pollute”
The United States Forest Service created Woodsy Owl in 1970 for its famous advertising campaign, "Give a hoot — don't pollute!" The slogan was recorded in newspapers in November…
“You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there”
"You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many images. The saying has been cited in print since at least…
“Eggs are the menstrual flow of hens” (“Eggs are chicken periods”)
"Eggs are the menstrual flow of hens" or "Eggs are chicken periods" are arguments made by some vegetarians, vegans and members of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of…
“He puts his pants on one leg at a time” (he’s human)
A popular sports expression is that an opposing star player "puts his pants on one leg at a time" -- that is, he's still human, like everyone else. "The Tech team Is just like…
“The rodeo ain’t over till the bull riders ride”
"Church is never out until they stop singing" is a saying that has been popular since the late 1800s. "It ain't over 'til it's over" is a similar saying that has…
“The most fattening thing you can put in an ice-cream sundae is a spoon”
"The most fattening thing you can put in an ice-cream sundae is a spoon" is a popular one-line saying that is often included with other dieting sayings. "The most fattening thing you…
Skyville (Schuylerville, Bronx)
Schuylerville is a middle-class neighborhood in the East Bronx. The Wikipedia entry states that Schuylerville has been nicknamed "Skyville," but this nickname appears only infrequently in…
Thieves’ Lair (Longacre Square/Times Square)
The Longacre Square area of Manhattan -- called Times Square since 1904 -- didn't have theatres in the 1880s and early 1890s. The crime-ridden area was known as the "Thieves'…