“You don’t choose boxing; boxing chooses you”
"You don't choose boxing; boxing chooses you" is a boxing saying of unknown authorship. Boxing, for someone from a poor neighborhood, is sometimes the only profession to choose.…
“Vines creep, then leap” (“first year it sleeps, second year it creeps, third year it leaps”)
There is a popular saying about ivy: "The first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps and the third year it leaps." The saying has been cited in print since at least 1960, when it was…
“Vote for Nobody” (satire)
"Vote for Nobody" is a satirical campaign that has been printed on bomper stickers and T-shirts. Nobody will lower the deficit. Nobody will stop the wars. Nobody will balance the budget.…
“War is a racket”
"War is a racket" and "Is war a racket?" became the topic of national conversation in 1933-35. "Arming for war is a racket of international proportions" was cited in…
“See you later, alligator; after a while, crocodile”
"See you later, alligator!""After a while, crocodile!" "See you later, alligator!" is 1950s teen slang for "goodbye." "After a while, crocodile"…
“It’s cheaper to send a kid to Yale than it is to jail”
"It's cheaper to send a kid to Yale than to send a kid to jail. Penn State is cheaper than the State pen," said U.S. President George H. W. Bush while campaigning for re-election in…
“Salt, sugar, sex—the deeper you go, the sweeter it gets”
Medical students remember the three layers of the adrenal cortex, from outer to inner, with: "Salt, sugar, sex -- the deeper you go, the sweeter it gets." "The layers of the adrenal…
“No milkweed, no monarchs” (gardening adage)
Monarch butteflies need milkweed to feed on and to lay their eggs. In recent years, herbicides have destroyed milkweed, and with it the population of monarch butterflies. "No milkweed, no…
“My credit card company says I have an outstanding balance. I’m flattered”
An "outstanding balance" means that money is owed, but it's often joked that an "outstanding balance" means a wonderful or exceptional balance. "It is so nice to…
“You can’t make everybody happy. You’re not a Nutella jar”
"You can't make everybody happy you're not a NUTELLA jar" was cited on Twitter on August 19, 2014. Nutella is the brand name of an Italian sweetened hazelnut chocolate spread.…
“Rap is all about poor people bragging about being rich”
"If country lyrics are all about being poor and rap is all about being rich, what is the middle class of music genre’s?" is an jocular line that was cited on Twitter on August 9, 2011.…
“‘I hate tacos!’ said no Juan ever”
"...said no one ever" is an Internet meme that became popular in January 2012. People thought of "...said no Juan ever," and Mexican food was added to the first part of the…
“The length of a minute depends on which side of the bathroom door you’re on”
How long is a minute? "The length of a minute depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on," according to an old joke. "The length of a minute depends on which side of…
“Non-alcoholic beer is like a porn movie on the radio”
Non-alcoholic beer has been the subject of several uncomplimentary jokes. "Non alcoholic beer is like a porn movie on the radio" was cited on Twitter on July 14, 2010. The saying has been…
Senior Slump
The "senior slump" is the time near the end of the academic period for a high school or college senior where the student's academic interest often lags. The high school senior might…
“The best way to control the opposition is to lead it”
"The best way to control the opposition is to lead it" is a popular political saying that has been credited to Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924). The earliest citation,…
“With money, Latin and a good horse, you can get through all Europe”
"With Latin, a horse, and money, thou wilt pass through the world. Span." was cited in John Ray's Collection of English Proverbs (1670). "PROV. 'Con Latin, rocin y fiorin…
“You must continue to gain expertise, but avoid thinking like an expert”
"Develop all the expertise you can, but avoid thinking like an expert" is the advice that was given in Winning the Innovation Game (1989) by Denis Waitley and Robert B. Tucker. Waitley…
“Chase your passion, not your pension”
American motivational speaker and author Denis Waitley wrote in Empires of the Mind (1996) that the actor Edward James Olmos was the commencement speaker at his daughter's graduation. Olmos…
Splashtastic (the winning horse on a wet track)
Tom Durkin, a track announcer for the New York Racing Association from 1990 until his retirement in 2014, called his last race at Saratoga's Spinaway Stakes in August 2014: “Condo Commando…