Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
On July 15, 1980, Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench hit his 314th career home run, passing New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) to become the all-time home run leader among major…
New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) was asked by a radio announcer about Little League. "It's a fine thing," Berra was cited in 1963. "It keeps the kids outta the…
"It's not the heat, it's the humidity" is an old line about the weather. "It ain't the heat, it's the humility" is a popular variation. "'It's…
Casey Stengel (1890-1975), a former New York Yankees manager and then the manager of the expansion New York Mets, gave advice to his former player, Yogi Berra (1925-2015), in January 1964 after…
"We have deep depth" is a jocular redundancy that a sports manager or coach says about his or her well-stocked team. Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver (1930-2013) was credite with…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksCharlie HustleBy Pete Rose with Bob HertzelEnglewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall1975Pg. 82:Yogi Berra, so the story goes, hadn't had a hit in quite some…
An athlete who can use both right and left hands is someone who is "ambidextrous." Something on both land and water is "amphibious." "He's amphibious" -- a…
Baseball outfielders often lose a fly ball in the sun. A popular joke when an infielder muffs a ground ball is that he "lost it in the sun." The Brooklyn Dodgers were leading the New York…
"Baseball is 90 percent mental" has been cited in print since at least 1974. Kansas City Royals outfielder Jim Wohlford was cited in April 1974 for saying:: "Ninety per cent of this…
Yankee catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) moved into a large house in New Jersey in 1961, and he was asked to describe the place. Berra said: "What a place it is. Nothing but rooms." The…
The New York Yankees had a terrible season in 1959, finishing with a 79-75 record and failing to make the playoffs. Yogi Berra (1925-2015), a star player on the club, was quoted in November 1959:…
"It Gets Late So Early" was a 1955 song hit by Lefty Frizzell. New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) talked about the shadows in left field at Yankee Stadium in the fall, when he…
"If you don't go to other people's funerals, they won't come to yours" is a popular joke saying to explain attendance at funerals. "If I don't attend other…
New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) was named the team's manager in October 1963, replacing Ralph Houk (1919-2010). Berra told reporters that he'd learned from coaches Houk…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wine SpectatorWhat's a Unicorn Wine?Parsing sommelier speakPosted: Oct 24, 2013 10:30am ET By Jennifer Fiedler(...)On March 1, Michael Mina wine director Rajat Parr…
"Good morning!" is a common greeting. "What's good about it?" is a frequent -- and usually unwelcome -- response. "People who say 'Good morning' should be…
Monday is the traditional start of the work week. A "good morning" greeting on Monday morning is often not appreciated. "Someone who says 'GOOD MORNING' on a monday…
A "Welfarian" (or "welfarian") is a welfare recipient. "Welfarian" has been cited in print since at least 1978. The term "Welfarian" a high-sounding name…
"Economissed" (economist/economy + missed) is a jocular term for when an economic forecast (or an economic forecaster, such as an economist) misses the mark. The weekly newspaper The…
The United States of America has sometimes been dubbed the "United States of Amnesia." These critics charge that Americans often forget things -- usually the bad things, like slavery.…