Kafkatrapping
"Kafkatrapping" (Kafka + trapping) was coined by the blog Armed and Dangerous on July 18, 2010, and popularized by the blog Legal Insurrection on September 1, 2013. The term's name…
“Money is like an arm or a leg—use it or lose it”
American automaker Henry Ford (1863-1947) didn't believe in hoarding money and famously advised people to "use it or lose it." Ford said in November 1931: "Money is like an arm…
“Bacon is the candy of meat”
"Bacon is meat candy" is a jocular description that has been cited in print since at least 2005. "Bacon: candy of meats" was cited on Twitter on May 21, 2007. "Bacon would…
“I live in a tough neighborhood. They got a children’s zoo. Last week, four kids escaped”
Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) was a self-deprecating comic. He told a joke about his neighborhood (cited in print since at least 2003 and in his 2004 book): "I live in a tough neighborhood.…
“The brain starts working when you get up, and doesn’t stop until you get into the office”
A joke was told in Hardware Age in 1928 and was reprinted in many newspapers and magazines: "The human brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment we get up in the morning, and…
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business”
American automaker Henry Ford (1863-1947) ran a business that made lots of money, but he didn't view that alone as a measure of success. His Dearborn (MI) Independent newspaper column,…
“Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind.”
American automaker Henry Ford (1863-1947) believed that work also helped people to think better. He wrote a much-quoted paragraph in his column, "Mr. Ford's Page," in the Dearborn…
“There is no substitute for hard work”
"There is no substitute for hard work" is an old business axiom. American inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) is often credited for the saying, but there's no evidence that he said it…
“Don’t be a speaker, be an expert who speaks”
"Don't be a speaker, be an expert who speaks" is one bit of advice in the speaking business. The saying has been popularized by Scott Stratten of UnMarketing.com since at least 2009.…
“NSA—The only part of the government that actually listens”
The National Security Agency (NSA) had a June 5, 2013 news story written about its mass surveillance of citizens. Two days later, LibertyManiacs.com posted gift items printed with the NSA logo and…
“Nothing brightens the rat race like a horse race” (OTB slogan)
"Offtrack Betting: There's a New Game in Town; First Offtrack Bet System in U.S. Opens Here Thursday" was the title of a story in the New York (NY) Times on April 4, 1971. The first…
“Anyone who lives within his means suffers from a lack of imagination”
"Anyone who lives within his means suffers from a lack of imagination" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many posters, where it is almost always credited to Irish author and…
“You wouldn’t worry about what people may think of you if you could know how seldom they do”
"You wouldn't worry about what people may think of you if you could know how seldom they do" is a popular quotation that has been credited to many people. Eleanor Roosevelt…
Above-way (proposed monorail to complement subway)
John Catsimatidis was running in the Republican primary for New York City mayor in 2013 when he was asked about transportation options. Catsimatiidis came out in favor of a new monorail system,…
JAG (Just A Guy)
"JAG" ("Just A Guy") is a term that Bill Parcells used when coaching the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006. The term refers to a football player who is no different than any…
“Time to spare? Go by air.” (aviation saying)
Early aviation had so many weather and mechanical delays that someone thought up a popular saying -- "Time to spare? Go by air." "Small wonder his theme song is 'with time to…
“If you can’t afford a Dodge, dodge a Ford”
"If you can't afford a Dodge, dodge a Ford" is one of the oldest of automotive puns and has been especially popular in Australia and New Zealand. Ford began in 1903 and Dodge began…
“A criminal is a person with predatory instincts without sufficient capital to form a corporation”
"A criminal is a person with predatory instincts who has not sufficient capital to form a corporation" is a quotation from Howard Scott (1890-1970), an engineer who supported technocracy.…
“Fascism is capitalism in decay”
"Fascism is capitalism in decay" is a quotation that is usually credited to Russian politician Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924), but there's no evidence that he ever said it.…
“True terror is waking one morning and discovering your high school class running the country”
"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country" is a quotation that has been credited to American author Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007).…