Texas of Asia (Mongolia nickname)
The country of Mongolia is sometimes called the "Texas of Asia" because both Mongolia and Texas have horses and plenty of flat, open land. "Mongolia -- The Texas of Asia," by…
Texas of Africa (Nigeria nickname)
The country of Nigeria, in West Africa, has been called the "Texas of Africa." Nigeria is a large country (just as Texas is a large state), Nigeria has oil (just as Texas has oil), and…
Texas of Kazakhstan (Shymkent city nickname)
Shymkent, the capital city of South Kazakhstan Province, has been called the "Texas of Kazakhstan" since at least 2007. Shymkent is in the south (like Texas) and its people are considered…
Faultitasking (fault + multitasking)
"Faultitasking" (fault + multitasking) is the chaos that happens when attempting to do too many things all at once. The term "faultitasking" appeared in "That Should Be a…
“Avoid fruits and nuts—you are what you eat”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), in the book Physiologie du Gout (1825), wrote "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are," often interpreted as "you are what…
“THINK before you text, tweet, facebook. Is it true, hurtful, illegal, necessary and kind?”
A "THINK" poster from a backronym of five words -- "Is it True, Hurtful, Illegal, Necessary, Kind?" -- was produced by the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada, to help combat…
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”
"Opportunity knocks but once" is a proverb that dates, in various forms, to the 1500s. "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door" is a jocular take on the old proverb…
“Sage on the stage or guide on the side” (teaching terms)
An old teaching saying states that a teacher can be either a "sage on the stage" or a "guide on the side." Modern technology provides many opportunities to have a "stage on…
“Monopoly is an old game because there’s a luxury tax and rich people can go to jail”
The popular Monopoly board game has players buy properties; a bad spin, however, could send a player in jail. "You can tell Monopoly is an old game because there's a luxury tax and rich…
“Women who strive to be equal to men lack ambition”
"Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition'' is a jocular saying that has been cited in print since at least 1978, when advertisements in Ms. magazine featured this saying on…
“A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent”
"A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent" is a saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as coffee cups and posters. "Morning coffee…
“Moments of silence are part of the music”
"Moments of silence are part of the music" is a saying that has been printed on several gift items. Robert Fulghum's Words I Wish I Wrote: A Collection of Writing That Inspired My…
“Poor people are crazy; rich people are eccentric”
A poor person who acts different is said to be "crazy," but a rich person who acts different is merely "eccentric" -- a small personality quirk. The book Majority of One (1957),…
“What we teach children to love and desire outweighs what we make them learn”
The Read-Aloud Handbook (seventh edition, 2013), by Jim Trelease, states: "There's an education adage that goes, 'What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what…
Fauxnut (faux + cronut/donut)
A "fauxnut" (faux + donut) is an imitation donut. Danny DeVito was required to eat donuts for his role in the film Other People's Money (1991), but he didn't eat junk food. Mani…
“Hit what you see and see what you hit” (football adage)
"Hit what you see and see what you hit" (or "see what you hit and hit what you see") is an American football adage. A player who has his head down to make a tackle often makes a…
“If defensive backs could catch, they would be wide receivers” (football adage)
"If defensive backs could catch, they would be wide receivers" is a popular football adage. The saying usually comes up when a defensive back is in perfect position for an interception,…
“Give a jackass an education and you get a smartass”
"Give a jackass an education and you get a smartass" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, hats and bumper stickers. "Give a jackass an…
“Winning is the best deodorant” (sports adage)
"Winning is the best deodorant" (or "winning is a great deodorant") means that everything smells better with winning. With losing, everything stinks. "Winning is a great…
“Underpromise and overdeliver” (business adage)
Some businesses believe that it is best to "under-promise and over-deliver." For example, a business might believe that something can be delivered on Thursday, but the company will tell…