Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Garrison Keillor is the host of a program on Minnesota Public Radio about a small, fictional town called Lake Wobegon. The town is so small that people lock their car doors only in July during the…
A "fishing expedition" is an investigation that looks into many matters in the hope of finding at least one piece of incriminating evidence. The investigation is "fishing" for…
On February 1, 1998, William H. Ginsburg (1943-2013), attorney for Monica Lewinsky (the White House intern who had an affair with U.S. President Bill Clinton), appeared on all five Sunday political…
The Weekly Standard is a conservative opinion weekly magazine that debuted in September 1995. The obvious nickname of The Meekly Standard was applied to the magazine by at least 2002. Conservative…
The six-pack of beer became popular in the 1960s, along with the "seven-course dinner/meal" joke -- a six pack and one other food item. The "Irish gourmet dinner" or "Irish…
"Always Be Clicking" (the "ABC" of the Internet) is a similar expression to "Always Be Closing" (the "ABC" of selling). "Always Be Clicking" was…
"Fidouchebag" (fiduciary/finance + douchebag) is a term that was popularly used by Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's The Daily Show on July 30, 2014. The term has been cited in print…
“So this SEO copywriter walks into a bar, grill, pub, public house, Irish bar, bartender, drinks, beer, wine, liquor” This joke has been cited in print since at least December 2010 and became…
"Parkwanus" (Park Slope + Gowanus) began as a joke on the blog F'ed in Park Slope on June 21, 2013: "Given the quality of Dino's BBQ, I feel like they kind of deserve to be…
The Brooklyn neighborhood of "Bedwick" (Bedford-Stuyvesant + Bushwick) was used in a real estate advertisement and was reported on the blog Curbed NY on August 5, 2013. The term has been…
Ligaya Mishan wrote in the New York (NY) Times on June 12, 2014: "You are 10 stops out of Manhattan on the L line, in the borderland where Bushwick, Brooklyn, blurs into Ridgewood, Queens.…
St. John's Episcopal Church, 9818 Fort Hamilton Parkway in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, was dedicated in 1834 and was located near the United States Army installation at Fort Hamilton.…
"Our tongue sandwiches speak for themselves" is an old joke about a sign in a deli or restaurant, but such signs actually did exist. "'Our tongue sandwiches speak for…
John Taylor (1836-1909), of Trenton, New Jersey, formed the Taylor Provision Company in 1888, although it's often given that the famous 'Taylor ham" was first made in 1856. The name…
Many things (fame, money, power, LSD) have been described as aphrodisiacs. "Powetr is what they like -- it is the greatest of all aphrodisiacs." is credited to French emperor and general
Turtle soup has a joke: "What's the slowest soup a chef can prepare?""Turtle soup." The joke appeared in "MIGHTY FUNNY'S Mini Jokes" on The Mini Page by…
The construction industry has a joke that's told about it: "Do you want to hear a construction joke? Sorry, It'm still working on it." The joke has been cited in print since at…
It's long been known that women go to the theatre more often than men. Michael Colgan, artistic director of the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, said in 2001: "I did coin that phrase…
"the best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow" is a popular gardening proverb that's often said to come from China. However, a direct Chinese source is not known. "Our…
Several cities of the Midwest have been called the 'Big Apple of the Midwest." Minneapolis, Minnesota ("Mini-Apple") and Manhattan, Kansas ("Little Apple")…