Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Will RogersWilliam Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Other shutdown terms include "shut happens" and "shutdown theater." TwitterMatt Stevens@stevensUNDshutstorm is way better then lockout (live at…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Nice guyThe "nice guys finish last" viewA common aphorism is that "nice guys finish last." The phrase is attributed to baseball manager Leo…
“The old adage, 'Never believe weather forecasters or politicians'" was cited in a 2015 North Vancouver (British Columbia) newspaper, when a former CBC meteorologist decided to go…
"Golf is like taxes. You drive hard to make the green, then end up in the hole" is a jocular saying that has been printed on wall signs. The saying has been cited in print since at least…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Jerome K. JeromeJerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humorist, best known for the comic travelogue Three Men in a Boat…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksMiddle and High School Teaching: Methods, Standards, and Best PracticesBy James A. DuPlassBoston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.2006Pg. 280:Prior to a test, announce…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Luck LucianoCharles "Lucky" Luciano (pronounced /luːtʃˈɑːnɵ/; born Salvatore Lucania November 24, 1897 – January 26, 1962), was an…
"Freadom" (freedom + read) is a word that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters, T-shirts and bumper stickers. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression…
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Internet Movie DatabaseI Think I Love My Wife (2007)QuotesMr. Landis: You can lose lots of money chasing women, but you will NEVER lose women chasing money.…
Tax Freedom Day is the day of the year when an individual has earned enough to pay his or her taxes; all earnings after that date belong to the individual. An earlier Tax Freedom Day means a lower…
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has a mission to protect market users and the public from fraud, manipulation, and abusive practices related to the sale of commodity and…
Something (or someone) with the qualities of Brooklyn is "Brooklynesque." The term "Brooklynesque" has been cited in print since at least 1891, but became popularized since the…
Koi Restaurant, at Trump SoHo (246 Spring Street), debuted a sake-based "Big Apple" cocktail for National Sake Day on October 1, 2013. The "Big Apple" cocktail also contains an…
Entry in progress -- B.P, photo.netWhat do you worry about the most?Robert McCurley , Apr 08, 2005; 09:44 a.m.This quote was posted by a fellow member in my camera club's forum ...The Amateur…
"Shut happens" (shut + shit happens) is a popular sign on closed businesses. The sign has bee cited in print since at least 2006. In October 2013, "Shut Happens" was used to…
"Bubblecovery" (a bubble-driven recovery) is a term that was was coined by American economic analyst Jesse Colombo in May 2012. The U.S. Federal Reserve led the "recovery" from…
"Shamparency" (sham + transparency) is a fake transparency -- someone is pretending that all is there to see, but that person is actually hiding something. "Transparency,…
"Shutdown theater" refers to the posturing that Democrats and Republicans make in blaming the other over a government shutdown. "Government Shutdown Theater" was cited in print…
The 2013 success of the "cronut" (croissant + doughnut) inspired many knockoffs. Urban Taco (in Dallas and other Texas cities) introduced the "churrnut" (churro + doughnut) in…