Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
New age music is incomprehensible to many people, hence the joke: Q: What do you get when you play a new age song backwards?A: You get a different new age song. The new age music joke has been…
A person who plays the viola is called a "violist" or simply a "viola player." However, a popular joke is: Q: What do you call a person who plays the viola? A: A violator. The…
A popular real estate riddle is: Q: What do you have to know to be a real estate salesman?A: Lots. The riddle has been cited in print since at least 1976. “What does an auctioneer need to…
There's an old joke told about bandstands: Q: How do you make a bandstand?A: Take away their chairs. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1976. "How do you make a hot dog…
American proverbs author William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) wrote in the 1960s (probably 1965): "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The…
The word "tardy" (late) is not the same as the politically incorrect word "retard," but William Ader joked on Twitter on December 21, 2012: "Yesterday my boss asked why I…
A "body man" is a politician’s special personal assistant. A "body man" was always, historically, a man. New York (NY) Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd's June 29, 2008…
American Jewish families in the 20th century valued education. A popular joke defined a "Jewish dropout" as "a boy who didn't get his Ph.D." The joke has been cited in…
A "maiter" is a male model who is also a waiter. "The Secret Lives of Maiters" by Charlotte Cowles, published in New York magazine on May 24, 2012, helped popularize the term.…
A "nodel" is someone who is "not a professional model," but models anyway. A nodel might be a friend or family member of a designer, a local celebrity, a person of certain…
Some diners enjoy live music, but many diners do not. A popular joke has been cited in print since at least 1922, with the following example (with a waiter) from 1964: Night club patron: "Does…
"Home Sweet Homeroom" (or "Home Sweet Classroom") is a saying that has been printed on wall hangings that are frequently seen in school classrooms. The saying is a variation…
A popular alphabet joke is: Q: Where do children learn their ABCs? A: In LMN-tary school. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1996. Google BooksFunniest Riddle Book in the WorldBy…
People often seek the key (or keys) to success. The "key" is a metaphor, but another metaphor is often added -- that success is a "combination lock." Business author Jonathan…
Bronx-born comedian, author and film director Woody Allen joked in 1964: "I failed to make the chess team because of my height." A young Woody Allen was short, but he was athletic and…
Pastrami on rye, with mustard, is a classic New York Jewish deli dish. A popular joke has a non-Jew entering a deli and ordering a pastrami sandwich -- on white bread, with mayonnaise. "He…
"The horse I bet on was so slow," an old joke goes, "that the jockey kept a diary of the trip." The joke was credited to Jewish-American singer and actor Al Jolson (1886-1950)…
"What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased" is a saying that has been printed on many images, usually showing the saying in chalk on a blackboard. The saying has…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Urban DictionaryThe great dividerA term used to describe President Obama. Before coming to office he said he was going to unite the nation, yet all he has done since is…
"The bigger the base, the higher in space" is a stock market technician's adage. Alan Shaw, and analyst at Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co., said in 1985 that he had two…