“Some people pay a compliment as if they expected a receipt”
"Some people pay a compliment as if they expected a receipt" is a popular joke about etiquette. "When you pay a compliment, always take a receipt" was cited in Punch's…
“If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission”
"If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission" is a popular stencil by Oakland-based artist Eddie Colla that shows a woman (with a handkerchief over her face) spray…
“Teaching children is an accomplishment; getting children excited about learning is an achievement”
"Teaching children is an accomplishment; getting children excited about learning is an achievement" is a quote from Robert John Meehan's Teacher's Journey: The Road Less…
“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape”
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many posters. Michael McGriff, M.D., has been credited with the saying…
“Getting something done is an accomplishment; getting something done right is an achievement”
"Getting something done is an accomplishment; getting something done right is an achievement" is a popular saying of unknown authorship. The saying has been cited in print since at least…
“If we’re not supposed to eat late-night snacks, why is there a light in the refrigerator?”
"If we're not supposed to eat late-night snacks, why is there a light in the refrigerator?" (or, "If we're not meant to have midnight snacks, why is there a light in the…
“When a diplomat says yes, he means perhaps…”
A popular joke involves a lady and a diplomat. The lady can't say "yes" and the diplomat can't say "no." The joke is from the Berliner Tageblatt and has been cited in…
“Nothing gets out of hand quicker these days than money”
To "get out of hand" is an idiom for something that is "out of control." "Nothing gets out of hand quicker these days than money" is a joke that has been cited in…
“It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something”
A general rule states that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert an anything. The "10,000-hour rule" was developed from a 1973 paper in American Scientist by Herbert Simon and William…
“My BFF is a Bowl of Fattening Food”
"BFF" usually stands for "Best Friends Forever," but there have been many backronyms (back acronymns). One popular "BFF" backronym is "Bowl of Fattening…
Gunshine State (gun + Sunshine State)
"Gunshine State" (gun + Sunshine State) is a Florida nickname that has been featured on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers -- and often illustrated with a…
Problem - Reaction - Solution
"Problem-Reaction-Solution" (also called Diocletian's Problem/Theory and often said to be a form of the Hegelian Dialectic) is a control system where an entity can achieve its aims…
“Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction”
"Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction" was said by Chicago newspaper writer Al Bernstein in 1975. The quotation made Reader's Digest magazine and…
“You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out”
"You can't fix stupid" is a saying of American stand-up comedian Ron White."You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out" is a jocular saying that has been printed on…
Theft by Cop (civil asset forfeiture)
Police often take a person's property (such as cash, a car and even a house) on the suspicion of a crime -- although frequently no criminal charges are ever filed. Many critics have argued…
Muggers’ Express (4 subway line)
The Guardian Angels began in February 1979 (the group was started by Curtis Sliwa in 1977 as the "Magnificent 13") and patrolled the #4 Lexington Avenue subway train. "The…
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is often credited with the following quotation about education: "If a man empties his purse into his head no one can take it away from him. An investment in…
“People like hard work when they are paying someone else to do it”
"Most people like hard work. Particularly when they are paying for it" was written by American humorist Franklin P. Jones in the Saturday Evening Post in 1954. "People like hard work…
Jawbreaker (sandwich)
A "jawbreaker" is a large Italian sandwich that's so big and so stuffed that it could break one's jaw to eat all of it. "Sunday night supper is an especially popular time…
“If you can sell. you’ll never be unemployed”
Sales is a very important part of business and the ability to sell is an important asset to have. "If you can sell, you'll never be unemployed" or "if you can sell, you'll…