Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed in 1970 to protect human health and the environment. Some critics believe that that the EPA supports environmental propaganda,…
The states of the United States are often called the "laboratories" of the federal system. "The states are the laboratories of democracy" or "the states are the…
"Ps get degrees" (a "P" is a passing grade) is a saying used mostly in Australia. If you pass, you get a degree. However, some people do not like the saying and insist that good…
"The more you tell, the more you sell" is an old marketing adage. The more information that prospective customer learns about a product, the more that customer can be attracted to the…
"The key to healthy eating? Avoid any food that has a TV commercial" is a saying that has been printed on posters. The saying has been cited on Twitter since November 14, 2012.…
"I run because I really like food/beer/chocolate/cookies/dessert/wine" has been printed on many T-shirts. The idea is that running burns off the calories of the food consumed. "I run…
"Zombies hate fast food" is a saying that has been printed on many T-shirts, often with an illustration of a person running away from a pack of zombies. Snorg Tees possibly coined the…
"The Turk" is the Grim Reaper of the National Football League -- the team official that tells a player to take his playbook and speak with the coach because that player has just been cut…
"What's one thing that doesn't work when it's fixed?" is a popular riddle. The answer is "a jury." The joke has been cited in print since 1946, when it appeared…
Lawyers have a reputation for stretching the truth (lying). A popular lawyer joke is: Q: How does an attorney sleep?A: First he lies on one side, then he lies on the other. The joke has been cited…
"Here is a house without a flaw," says a real estate agent in the old joke. "Gosh, what do you walk on?" responds the prospective client, mistaking "flaw" for…
Navy plays its football games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The classic joke is of an opposing player or coach looking up at the stadium and reading the names of…
The efficient market hypothesis (EMH) assumes such efficiency that it has led to a popular economics joke. Two economists are walking down the street and one of them notices what appears to be a…
"He who opens a school, closes a prison" has been credited to French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885) since at least 1890. In the 2000s, the variation "He who opens a school door,…
The Santiago Calatrava-designed World Trade Center Transportation Hub was announced in 2004 to have the design of a "bird in flight." The project was long delayed; the project cost…
"Safety is when nothing happens" is a slogan that began to be used at Lowe's home improvement stores in 2013. The safety slogan was widely has been widely used by Lowe's, but…
The "seven-year itch" is when a spouse loses interest with a marriage partner; The Seven Year Itch was a 1952 play by George Axelrod and a 1955 movie starring Marilyn Monroe. The…
The New York Times is a newspaper that has been pubished in New York City since 1851. Conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage believes that the newspaper has an old, tired liberal slant,…
A "Check Pants Republican" (or "Check Pants Conservative") is a Republican/Conservative who wears check pants. The term is similar in meaning to "Country Club…
"Republicunt" (Republican + cunt) is a term for a Republican that some feel is too vulgar to print. "Mainly teh religious fanatics and Republicunts" was cited in print in 1996.…