Poke Test or Finger Test (rule for cooking meat)
The "poke test" (or "finger test") involves touching a food to see if it's done cooking. "Finger test" has been cited since at least 1960, when it was used to…
Black-Robed Gang (court judges)
The court dress of judges in the United States usually consists of black robes. The term "black-robed gang" refers to a court -- usually the United States Supreme Court -- and is a thinly…
Neocon Spying Agency (National Security Agency or NSA nickname)
The National Security Agency was formed in 1962 to improve foreign intelligence within the United States government. The agency was so secret (especially in its early years) that even its existence…
Lobsterrific (lobster + terrific)
"Lobsterrific" (lobster + terrific) is a superlative for describing lobster. A 1965 newspaper advertisement for Stoffer's Lobster Newburg described it as "lobsterrific." A…
Slush or Slushie or Slushy (a flavored drink with crushed ice)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Slush (beverage)A slush, sometimes known as a slushie or slushy, is a flavored frozen drink. TypesThere are a number of different kinds of slush drinks: .…
Slushify
The term "slushify" was popularized in television advertisements fpr the product Slushy Magic (trademarked from May 21, 2011). The product claimed that it will "slushify" your…
Great Shrinkage
David Bianco, Deutsche Bank's Chief U.S. Equity Strategist, was the subject of a Business Insider article on May 28, 2012, "David Bianco: The Stock Market Is Shrinking." Bianco said…
“Texas forever”
"Texas forever" has been a Texas saying about as long as there has been a Texas. "Texas Forever!!" is the title of a broadside from 1836, during the Texas Revolution. A song…
“Texas Is Calling, Your Opportunity Awaits”
Texas Governor Rick Perry (a Republican) promoted businesses to come to his state in 2013 by taking his message to blue states (Democratic), where taxes were high. Television advertising buys of $1…
“We control the Tide” (Texas A&M joke about Alabama football)
The #15 Texas A&M Aggies defeated the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide in football, 29-24, on November 10, 2012. (This would be Alabama's only loss and the team would win the national championship…
“Each day of our lives we make deposits into the memory banks of our children”
"Each day of our lives we make deposits in/into the memory banks of our children" is a quotation that has been printed on posters; the saying has been posted at many schools and has been…
National Socialist Agency (National Security Agency or NSA nickname)
The National Security Agency was formed in 1962 to improve foreign intelligence within the United States government. The agency was so secret (especially in its early years) that even its existence…
“Our most important assets go home every night” (employee-intensive business slogan)
"Our most important assets go home every night" is what a labor-intensive company's executive might say. The saying has long been popular in Hollywood, where a studio's greatest…
“The living deserve our respect; the dead deserve the truth”
Voltaire (1694-1778) wrote in a 1719 letter to M. de Genonville, "On doit des egards aux vivants; on ne doit aux morts que la verite." ("We should be considerate to the living; to…
“You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here” (bar saying at closing time)
"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here" is what a bar manager might say to his last remaining customers at closing time. "In the old days, the cry in the…
“Editors choose their stories, but sometimes stories choose their editors”
Author Salmon Rushdie said in 1990, "Books choose their authors; the act of creation is not entirely a rational and conscious one." The quotation has been frequently cited in books and in…
Baby Raddle/Rattle (chocolate and rainbow sprinkles)
Mister Softee ice cream trucks feature "Baby Raddle" -- a soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone with half chocolate sprinkles and half rainbow sprinkles. The Big Gay Ice Cream truck offers a…
“It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow”
"It is more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow" is a popular automotive adage. It's more exciting to see a car overachieve (a slow car going fast) than it is to see…
“Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” (auto racing adage)
"Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" is an auto racing adage. The races are usually held on Sunday; an automobile company that had a winning car on Sunday was said to have had increased sales…
“Maintenance doesn’t cost—it pays”
"Maintenance doesn't cost -- it pays!" is a saying in many businesses. If machinery isn't properly maintained, the cost to repair it is often greater than it would have been if…