Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"O’Sullivan’s First Law: An eternal truth" by John O'Sullivan, published in the National Review on October 27, 1989, stated: "All organizations that are not actually…
"A champion team will always beat a team of champions" is a sports adage that has been popular in Australia, but also has been used in the United States. The saying means that a team of…
Basketball is not a complicated game. "There are only two great plays -- South Pacific and put the ball in the basket" is a famous quote. The musical South Pacific opened on Broadway and…
"STFR" stands for "Sell The Fucking Rip" or "Sell The Fucking Rally." According to this theory, if the price of an asset rises, then one should sell. " I was…
NFL football coach Bill Parcells said at his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2013: “We've got that momentary time of exhilaration where you hoist that championship…
"Win tonight, look good next time" is a boxing adage that has been credited to boxing trainer George Benton (1933-2011). The saying means that a boxer should win the current fight in any…
"You don't recruit JuCos to sit on the bench" is a popular college football adage. A college player normally has four years of eligibility, but a junior college (JuCo) recruit plays…
The term "joyflation" (joy + deflation/inflation) was coined by Oxford Economics Ltd. in December 2014. "Joyflation" referred to the oil-driven slowdown in inflation and…
It's a basketball adage that jumpshooting teams (such as teams that rely on three-point shots) do not win championships. A successful basketball team must also have an inside game because…
"The operation was successful, but the patient died" (or "the operation was a success, but the patient died") is an old joke in the medical profession that has also been used to…
"Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make" is a popular sports adage that originated in baseball, but has been used by other sports as well. "Of Keltner, Veeck…
"The horse doesn't know what its odds are" is a horse racing adage of unknown authorship. "A horse doesn't know what the odds are" was said in 1971 by a fan called…
"Fixer upper" was frequently used in the 1930s to mean a person who fixes things up. In the 1940s, houses that needed work were advertised -- at presumed lower prices -- for these…
"Nobody buys houses in the winter" (especially December and January) is a real estate adage of unknown authorship. There are many explanations for this -- the weather is cold, it's…
"It's easier to get to the top than it is to stay there" is a popular saying in entertainment, sports and business. "It is much easier to reach the top of the ladder than it is…
"If a play is working, keep running it" is a sports adage used in football, but also in other sports such as basketball. If a football team can't stop the run, for example, then the…
A popular sports philosophy is to "respect everybody but fear nobody." "We'll respect everyone, but fear no one" was said by a football coach in 1949. "Respect…
"The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scots as a joke, but the Scots haven't seen the joke yet" is a classic joke about that musical instrument. "One of the favorite wisecracks of…
"Never approach a dock faster than you are willing to hit it" is a boating adage of unknown authorship. "Never approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it!!" was cited in…
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) popularized the term "right to rise"in an 1848 speech in the Unites States House of Representatives. Lincoln, referring to the Texas revolution from Mexico,…