Transfarency (transparency + fare)
Southwest Airlines introduced its "transfarency" (transparency + fare) advertising campaign in 2015. The word "transfarency" was filed for a trademark on June 19, 2015.…
Zydecajun (zydeco + Cajun)
American Cajun singer Wayne Toups has called his brand of music "zydecajun" (zydeco + Cajun). The name "Zydecajun" is also the formal name of his group that recorded an album in…
Riveters (National Women’s Hockey League team)
The National Women's Hockey League -- the first-ever all women’s professional paid hockey league -- was announced in March and April 2015 with four inaugural teams, consisting of the Boston…
“Price it low, watch it go; price it high, watch it die” (real estate adage)
"Quote it low, watch it go" and "Quote it high, watch it die" are popular real estate adages in Australia and New Zealand, where real estate is sold at auction. If a price is…
“Publicity is like poison. It doesn’t hurt unless you swallow it”
The Penn State football team in 1962, under head football coach Rip Engle (1906-1983), had high expectations. (The team would finish 9-2.) Engle was quoted in the Philadelphia (PA) Inquirer on…
“The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next”
"The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next" is often said to be a quotation from Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). However, no such…
“A lawyer’s time and advice are his stock in trade”
"A lawyer's time and advice are his stock in trade" is a classic legal aphorism that is often credited to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), but there's no evidence that he said it.…
“If you don’t fight for what you want, don’t cry for what you lose”
"If you you don't fight for what you love/want, (then) don't cry for what you lose/lost" is a saying that has been printed on posters. "If you don't fight for what you…
“Sex is like bridge…” (bridge joke)
The game of bridge has a popular sex joke connected with it: "Sex is like bridge: if you don't have a good partner, you better have a good hand." The joke has been cited in print…
“We need the eggs” (joke)
A popular joke has a man visit a psychiatrist, saying, "Doctor, my son thinks he's a chicken." The psychiatrist suggests that the boy be sent to an institution. "We'd like…
Aquacise (aqua + exercise)
"Aquacise" (aqua + exercise) is an exercise done in water, such as in a swimming pool or a lake. "Aquacise" has been cited in print since at least April 1970, when it was…
“What do you get when you play a new age song backwards?”
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…
“What do you call a person who plays the viola?”/“A violator.”
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…
“What do you have to know to be a real estate salesman?”/” Lots.”
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…
“How do you make a bandstand?”/‘Take away their chairs.”
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…
“The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates”
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 boss said I was tardy” (joke)
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…
Body Woman
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…
“Jewish dropout: A boy who didn’t get his Ph.D.”
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…
Maiter (model + waiter)
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.…