“Your best bet is a vet” (military veterans saying)
A popular saying urging the hiring of military veterans rhymes "vet" with "bet." "Your Best Bet Is To Help a Vet" was cited in a newspaper in 1955. "Your Best Bet…
Halloweekend (Halloween + weekend)
When Halloween ("All Hallows' Evening" falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday, that weekend is often called "Halloweekend" (Halloween + weekend). The term…
“It’s not true that I had nothing on. I had the radio on”
Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jean Mortenson, 1926-1962) posed nude for a 1949 calendar photo. She was paid $50. In March 1952, after three years of minor roles in Hollywood, it was finally revealed…
“A pessimist is a well-informed optimist”
Entry in progress -- B.P. “The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is that the pessimist is better informed” is another form of the same saying. 22 November 1967, Citizen Times…
“Government is an insurance company with an army”
The federal government funds Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other programs. It's sometimes said that "the federal government is a health insurance company with an army."…
Fukushima Freeway (transport road for nuclear waste)
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011. The Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) began a protest of the transportation of nuclear waste, declaring on…
“Don’t worry if the horse is blind, just load the wagon”
Oakland Raiders football coach John Madden inspired his team just before the 1977 Super Bowl with: "Don't worry about the horse being blind, just load the wagon." Madden meant to say…
“It’s unlucky to be behind at the end of a game”
"It's unlucky to be behind at the end of a game" is a classic sports remark that's both obvious and funny. Michigan State University football coach Duffy Daugherty (1915-1987)…
“The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist invents the parachute”
Entry in progress -- B.P.English novelist Glabys Bronwyn Stern or G. B. Stern (1890-1973) Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) 7 September 1967, Scottsdale (AZ) Progress, "Here and…
“Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise”
"Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many posters. The saying has been cited in print since at…
“A $300 bat won’t fix your 50 cent swing” (baseball adage)
Baseball bats can be expensive, but an expensive bat doesn't automatically turn a player into a good hitter. "A $300 bat won't fix your 50 cent swing" is a baseball adage of…
“Money talks, gold screams” (“Money talks, gold shouts”)
"Money talks” (meaning that money has influence) is an old financial saying, cited in print in various forms from before 1700. "Money talks" was printed in several American…
“Technology is great…when it works”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google Groups: alt.lifestyle.furryModern technology is great when it works!Christopher/Tyger Cowboy 1/20/99Well I thought I had the html problem fixed before :) Many…
“I love sleep because it’s like a time machine to breakfast”
"I love sleep because it's like a time machine to breakfast" is a jocular line that has been printed on T-shirts, posters and ecards. The line was written by youngstero on tumblr on…
“Creationists don’t believe in science. They think ‘The Flintstones’ is a documentary”
The animated American television show The Flintstones (originally broadcast from 1960 to 1966) showed a working-class Stone Age family, with dinosaurs and humans living together. The show was a…
Basketball on Grass (football spread offense)
A pass-happy pro football team with a spread offense is sometimes called "basketball on grass." The term has been cited in print since at least 1950, when it was observed in the Boston…
“I always have a quotation for everything—it saves original thinking”
"I always have a quotation for everything -- it saves original thinking" was written by English crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) in Strong Poison: Have His Carcase (1932). The…
“From the outhouse to the penthouse” (moving up the ladder)
To go "from the outhouse to the penthouse" is to climb up the ladder, to go from worst to first. The saying is popular in sports and in business. "From the penthouse to the…
“How come ‘you’re a peach’ is a compliment but ‘you’re bananas’ is an insult?”
"How come 'you're a peach' is a compliment but 'you're bananas' is an insult?" That's a good question. Peaches are soft and fuzzy. A woman might have a…
“If I could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, I would want them to be alive”
A popular question is asks, "If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose?" Typical answers include one's parents, Jesus, George Washington and Thomas…