Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"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…
"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…
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 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…
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.…
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…
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,…
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" 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" is one bit of advice in the speaking business. The saying has been popularized by Scott Stratten of UnMarketing.com since at least 2009.…
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…
"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" 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" is a popular quotation that has been credited to many people. Eleanor Roosevelt…
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,…