Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
The New York (NY) Morning Telegraph used to be the Broadway Bible, and it was said that a "chorus girl's breakfast" consisted of the Morning Telegraph and a cigarette. The term…
[See also part one, "Big Apple Corner (1992-1997)," and part two, "Big Apple Corner (1997 Law & Today)." and part four, "Big Apple Corner (sign stolen,…
"My favorite exercise is chewing" is a jocular line that has been printed on many T-shirts."Chewing is my favorite exercise!" was in 1952 print advertisements for Milk-Bone dog…
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of public lands in the United States. Some critics have said that the bureau sells out to livestock and…
Amazon.com is an Internet commerce company with headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Amazon's employees received the derogatory nickname of "Am-hole" (Amazon + asshole) in January…
"Mixed emotions," a classic joke defines it, "are what a fellow feels when he sees his mother-in-law drive his new car off a cliff." The joke has been extremely popular and was…
Amazon.com is an Internet commerce company with headquarters in Seattle, Washington. A New York (NY) Times story about Amazon.com in August 2015 noted about "Amabot" (Amazon + robot):…
To "leave everything on the court/ice/field" is to give total effort, to the point of exhaustion. Nothing is held in reserve for a future contest. "It was evident the Giants had left…
Cars are often rated on how fast they can go from 0 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour. An article in the Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press on August 15, 2015, was titled "Test Drive: New Z06…
A "degrowther" is someone who believes in "degrowth" -- that there are too many factories, too many cars, too much urban sprawl, and so on, and that these things must be…
"Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission" has been the sig line of commenter "kchrisc" on the Zero Hedge blog since at least April 2015. "Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is…
"Turkeys don't vote for Christmas" is a popular politican saying in the United Kingdom, where Christmas turkey is a famous dish. If turkeys were allowed to vote, they would never…
To "hit the books" means to study them. There are many other "hit" sayings; "hit the sack" and "hit the hay" both mean to go to bed, and "hit the…
A joke is told about happiness: "The key to happiness is to find a woman who can cook, clean and is great in bed -- and it's important that these three women never meet." The joke --…
"Don't cheat yourself. Treat yourself" is a popular saying that has been frequently used with food. "Don't Cheat Yourself buying inferior goods. Treat yourself with a box…
The "money muscle" is a part of a Boston butt that is tender and is located on the opposite side of the blade bone. The name "money muscle" has been cited in print since at…
"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" is a famous business proposition, similar to the Latin quid pro quo. "Scratch my Back, and I'll claw your Elbow" was cited…
"He could sell ice to an Eskimo" -- meaning that he can sell something to someone who has no need for it -- is an old expression to show that a person is a good salesman. "There are…
The expression "get a foot in the door" comes from the days of door-to-door salesmen around 1900. A salesman would stick his foot in the door so that the door coudn't be closed, thus…
Dorothy Law Nolte (1924-2005) wrote verses under the title "Children Learn What They Live" for the Torrance (CA) Herald in 1954. She later published theverses in the book Children Learn…