Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Poison ivy has three leaves, but the harmless Virginia creeper has five leaves. The rhyme "Fingers five, let them thrive!" has been cited in print since at least 1902. "Leaflets…
Poison ivy (and poison oak as well) has three leaves. "Fingers three, turn and flee" is from 1902 and "Leaves three, quickly flee" is from 1904. The rhyme "leaflets three,…
"Cautions breed cautions" is a popular saying in auto racing. The saying was explained in a message board post on July 8, 2000: "There is a saying in auto racing that 'cautions…
"Between 11 and 3 stay under a tree" (or "11 to 3, stay under a tree") is a rhyme about when it's best to avoid the midday sun. Australia's Cancer Council issued a…
A boxing adage states that while speed might decrease as a fighter ages, punching power stays around longer. "I guess speed is what fades first in the old fighter. Technique and punching power…
The comic actor W. C. Fields (1880-1946) was known for drinking alcohol. He allegedly said that he didn't drink water because "that's the stuff that rusts pipes." Fields was…
"Relievers are relievers for a reason" is a baseball adage. A pitcher with great command of several pitches is a starting pitcher. A reliever has some flaws, but can be strong in one or…
A product such as a movie or a computer or a car often has a "wow factor" -- an aspect that impresses the customer and looks amazing, making the customer say "Wow!" The…
To "lose the dressing room" is for a coach or manager to lose the confidence and support of the players. The dressing room is the changing room, where the manager might address a team…
Someone who "has more guts than you could hang on a fence (post)" is someone who has a lot of guts (bravery). The expression has been included in many western novels, especially those set…
The New Yorker's Critic-at-Large Adam Gopnik wrote "In the Back Cabana: The rise and rise of Florida crime fiction" for the June 10, 2013 issue. Gopnik declared that the L.A. noir…
NFL football coach Bill Parcells was fond of cats. Parcells would pick out an under-appreciated football player and call him his "pet cat." Parcells was coach of the Dallas Cowboys from…
"Shut the front door!" is an expression that has been printed on many gift items. The term is usually regarded as a euphemism for "shut the fuck up" (popularly written as…
What is now called the "East Village" used to be called either Greenwich Village or the Lower East Side. The boundaries vary, but can be between 14th Street on the north and Houston…
"A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money" means that people are the same; having more or less money doesn't make one a better person. The saying has been frequently…
"Craptopia" (crap + utopia) is similar to the word "dystopia" (a dysfunctional utopia). An Urban Dictionary entry, from February 9, 2009, defined it: "n. an imperfect place…
"Horse sense is something a horse has that keeps him from betting on people. (MBS broadcast)" was cited in Reader's Digest in 1942. “Horse sense is something a horse has that keeps…
The comic actor W. C. Fields (1880-1946) was known for drinking alcohol. He allegedly said that he didn't drink water because "fish fuck in it." "I don't drink water…
"There goes the neighborhood!" refers to someone (or some business) entering the neighborhood and changing its character. The saying dates to at least 1964 and was a response to racially…
New York City's "Citi Bike" program was launched on May 27, 2013. The program was named and funded (in large part) by Citigroup, which paid $41 million for a six-year sponsorship.…