“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'…
“Prospects will break your heart” (baseball adage)
"Prospects will break your heart " is a baseball adage, used and popularized by Baseball Prospectus in February 2011 and in following years. The saying especially applies to pitching…
The Dinosaur (English Elm in Washington Heights)
"The Dinosaur" is tha name of an English Elm tree at St. Nicholas Avenue and 163rd Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan. George Washington is said to have walked by the tree around the…
Hare Krishna Tree (American Elm in Tompkins Square Park)
The "Hare Krishna Tree" is an American Elm in Tompkins Square Park, under which the Hare Krishna movement began in America in 1966. Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada…
“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is”
“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is,” New York-based author Fran Lebowitz told People magazine in September 1978. "Clean is not enough."…
“Make your mark in New York, and you are a made man”
Mark Twain (the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemons, 1835-1910) reported from New York City for the Daily Alta California, and wrote on May 17, 1867 (published on June 16): "Make your mark in…
“IKEA is Swedish for divorce”
IKEAis a Swedish multinational group that is the world's largest furniture retailer. "IKEA" is an acronym that consists of the initials of Ingvar Kamprad (the founder), Elmtaryd (the…
“If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?” (joke)
"April showers bring May flowers" is a proverb that dates to the 16th century. A popular Thanksgiving joke is: Q: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?A:…
Turkey Day (Thanksgiving Day)
So much turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving Day tables that the holiday is often called "turkey day." "Turkey-day" was cited in a Boston (MA) newspaper in 1835 and "turkey…
“A green Thanksgiving means a white Christmas”
"A green Thanksgiving means a white Christmas" is a winter adage. If it doesn't snow on Thanksgiving, it will snow on Christmas. If it does snow on Thanksgiving, it will not snow on…
“Church is never out until they stop singing”
"Church is never out until they stop singing" is another way of saying "It ain't over 'til it's over." "As long as the organ is playing church is not…
“We take career advice from someone who went to college to be a guidance counselor”
Students take career advice from a guidance counselor. "It's alarming that I took all my career advice from someone who thought it would be a good idea to go to college to be a guidance…
“Diets are for people who are thick and tired of it”
"Diets are for people who are thick and tired of it" -- a pun on "sick and tired" -- has been a popular line since the 1950s. "If you're thick and tired of" has…