Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch" is a popular motivational saying that has been printed on many posters. The saying was cited on Twitter on…
American author Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) wrote in How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936): "The chairman of the board of directors of one of the largest rubber companies in the United…
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him" is a popular saying of uncertain authorship. "The Successful Man Can Lay a Firm…
American author and poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919) began her poem "Will" (1881): "There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,Can circumvent or hinder or controlThe firm resolve of…
"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many posters. The saying was on the Truth Is Crying blog on August 18, 2008: "Have…
"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many posters. The saying has been cited on Twitter since April 21,…
"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes" is an old saying. "A lie has speed, but truth has endurance" is a saying that has been…
"Successful entrepreneurs are givers and not takers of positive energy" is a saying that has been printed on many posters. "More often than not, successful entrepreneurs are givers…
"Things turn/work out best for those who make the best of how things turn/work out" is a saying that has been printed on many posters. "Things turn out for the best for those who…
Rob Berger, a litigation attorney and founder of The Dough Roller website, wrote the article "Top 100 Money Quotes of All Time" for Forbes.com on April 30, 2014. The last quote was:…
"Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records" is an motivational saying that has been printed on posters and T-shirts. American author William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) has…
"Your self-worth is more important than your net worth" is a popular saying that has been credited to several people. "Self worth is better than net worth" was cited in print in…
"If you can't stop thinking about it, don't stop working for it" isa motivational saying that has been printed on many posters. "If you can't stop thinking about it,…
"Faith makes all things possible; Love makes all things easy; Hope makes all things work" is a saying that has been printed on many posters. "Faith makes all things possible, and…
"From soup to nuts" is an old expression meaning everything, from beginning (soup) to end (nuts). "Nuts," however, is also slang for "crazy," prompting this 1935 joke:…
"Biology is the only science in which multiplication means the same thing as division" is a popular biology joke. Cells multiply when a cell divides. "Biology is the only science in…
A jocular definition of a gossip columnist is: "Gossip columnist -- one who writes other's wrongs." The definition has been cited in print since at least 1964. It's not known…
The word "abundance" does not mean "a bun dance," but there is a joke definition: "Abundance: Big party held in a bakery." The joke has been cited in print since 2000…
"Your value does not decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth" is a saying that has been printed on many posters and an ecard. The saying was cited on Twitter on…
Paul H. Gilbert's syndicated newspaper column of "Daffynitions" (humorous or "daffy" definitions) included the following in January 1947: "MISER: A man who lets the…