Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A popular winter joke for children is: Q: Where do Eskimos/snowmen keep their money?A: In snow banks. Versions of the joke have been cited in print since at least 1958. Google BooksDecember 1958,…
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…
Entry in progress -- B.P. The EconomistThe birth of philanthrocapitalismThe leading new philanthropists see themselves as social investorsFeb 23rd 2006(...)The phrase most often used to describe…
WIlliam Ashley "Billy Sunday (1862-1935) was a baseball player who became a popular American evangelist in the early 1900s. He said at least as early as 1905: "Going to church won't…
New York-based comedian Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) is frequently credited for this joke: "One time I went to a hotel. I asked the bellhop to handle my bag. He felt up my wife!" The…
It's an old joke that a person is so dumb, "he/she stayed up all night studying for a urine test." The joke has been cited in print since at least 1968, when it was a Polish joke.…
A popular joke is told about the Texas two-step: "My best friend became addicted to country line dancing. It got so bad he had to enter a two-step program." Versions of the joke date to…
"The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper" is a saying that his frequently used in politics and in business. The authorship is unknown. “The only person who…
Some establishments advertise "food and fun." The fun could include games and large television screens to watch sports. "Come for the food, Stay for the fun" is a popular line.…
"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there" (or "Those at the top of the mointain didn't fall there") is a motivational saying that has been printed on many…
Chicago (IL) Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet (1912-2003) is often credited with this seasonal quotation, from Kup's Column: "An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving…
"It's not how big you are, it's how big you play" is a sports adage that has been used in several sports. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1967, when it was…
A popular joke told over Halloween and Thanksgiving is: Q: What do you get when you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?A: Pumpkin pi. The joke has been cited in print since at…
"The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay safe -- eat cake!" is something that many eateries have written on blackboards. "The heavier you are, the harder you are to…
"Wholetail" (wholesale + retail) is a sale of products or services to an end user at wholesale (or near wholesale) prices. "Wholetail" has been cited in print since at least…
"Faithwashing" (faith + whitewashing) is when someone uses faith as a justification to whitewash his or her objectionable actions. "Oooh. 'faithwashing' (I like that)"…
American author and organizational consultant Warren G. Bennis (1925-2014) wrote in On Becoming a Leader (1989): "The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader's…
"Schizophrenia beats dining alone" is a joke that has been credited to American composer Oscar Levant (1906-1972) since at least 2000, but there's no documentary evidence that he…
"Giving Tuesday" (the Tuesday after Thanksiving) was founded by Manhattan's 92nd Street Y in 2012, similar to days such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. In…
Paul Tudor Jones II, the founder of Tudor Investment Corporation, said in Jack D. Schwager's Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders (1989): "I always believe that prices move first…