Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"A cluttered up desk is the sign of a cluttered up mind" has been cited in print since at least 1947. "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty…
"Society is like a stew. If you don’t stir it up every once in a while then a layer of scum floats to the top" has been printed on posters. The saying has been attributed to American…
"Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy…
"Earth provides enough for every man's need. but not every man's greed" (or "Earth provides enough for everyone's need. but not everyone's greed") has been…
An "autograt" (automatic gratuity) is a gratuity (or "tip") that is automatically added to a bill, rather than a gratuity given at the customer's discretion. Many…
"Do You Know the Way to San Jose" is a 1968 song written for singer Dionne Warwick by Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics). "Do you know the way to Chardonnay?" has…
"You look like I could use a drink" (or "You look like I need a/another drink") is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers…
"I don't get drunk -- I get awesome" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers. "I don't get drunk, I get…
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" was a song hit for Bobby McFerrin in 1988. "Don't worry, beer happy" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as…
"The luck is gone, the brain is shot, but the liquor we still got" was said by the actor Bryan Brown in the movie Cocktail (1988). "The money's gone, the brain is shot, but the…
American sing/songwriter Stephen Still wrote "Love the One You're With" in 1970. The main lyric is, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're…
"Shit happens” became a popular saying by the early 1980s. "Sip happens" (sip + shit happens) is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters, hats…
"If life hands you lemons, make lemonade" is a saying that dates to the early 1900s. "Life just handed me lemonade -- not sure what to do" is a jocular saying that has been…
"Exhaustipated" (exhausted + constipated) has been defined in the Urban Dictionary as "To be so tired that you no longer give a shit any more." The term…
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers and…
"Support Our Troops" is a popular bumper sticker. American actor and writer Seth MacFarlane thought the saying needed some parody, so he wrote on Twitter on November 16, 2010:…
"Gentlemen, stgart your engines!" is a traditional starting command at the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and other races. A popular tweet parodied this on December 1, 2011: "If NASCAR…
An "armchair quarterback" is someone who follows a football game from the comforts of home. An armchair quarterback can question the decisions of the game's actual quarterback, away…
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress in September 2013 that the United States should intervene in Syria, following the evidence of a chemical weapons attack by the Syrian government on…
On July 3, 2013, the Egypitan military removed the country's elected president and suspended the Egyptian constitution. An article in the Washington (DC) Post was titled "Is what happened…