“If it’s free, it’s for me”
Retailers know that consumers love free stuff. "If it's free, it's for me" is a popular consumer saying. "If it's free, it's for me" has been cited in print…
Zebra (sports official who wears a black-and-white-striped shirt)
NFL officials' uniforms and NHL officials' uniforms have black-and-white-striped shirts, like a zebra's stripes. The officials wearing such shirts are often nicknamed…
Conservative Spring Break (Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC nickname)
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) began in the 1970s and is usually held annually in March. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in February 2009: "Some people…
“Personnel is policy”
'Personnel is policy" is a saying used to describe the personnel that a new executive puts in place. The saying became popular in 1981, after Ronald Reagan's presidential victory and…
“Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president”
An old Washington joke is that "every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president." Senator Albert Gore, Sr. wrote in The Eye of the Storm: A People's Politics for the Seventies…
“We may not always win the game, but we always win the party”
"We may not always win the game, but we always win the party" is a popular saying, used by both a team's fans and even the players. Though a favored team might lose, the fans are…
“The woods are full of long hitters” (golf adage)
"The woods are full of long hitters/drivers" is a golf saying; golfers who can hit long often can't hit straight and send the ball off the course and into the woods. The saying has…
“We’ll give him a fair trial, then we’ll hang him”
A supposed tale of the old West involves a captured horse thief. The crowd wants to hang him. "No, we can't do that," one member of the crowd says. 'We'll give him a fair…
“The first duty of wine is to be red”
"The first duty of wine is to be red" is a French saying from the early 1800s, when red wines were strongly preferred over white wines. "Le premier devoir du vin est d'être…
“When you go to Midas, you get a muffler” (go to a specialist for that specialty)
Midas (The Muffler Installation Dealers' Associated Service) is an automotive service center that specializes in mufflers (and was originally called "Midas Muffler"), but now also…
“Landing on a postage stamp” (aviation saying)
For an airplane or a helicopter to "land on a postage stamp" is to land in a small area. New York's LaGuardia Airport has been said to be a postage-stamp sized airport. Landing on an…
“To give the news impartially, without fear or favor” (New York Times)
The New York Times was purchased by Adolph Ochs (1858-1935) in 1896. On August 18, 1896, Ochs wrote: "It will be my earnest aim that The New-York Times give the news, all the news, in concise…
“Scare you to death, work you to death, then bore you to death” (law school’s three years)
Law school normally lasts for three years, but some have argued that the third year is not necessary. An old law school saying is that they "scare you to death" in the first year,…
“Ballers want to be rappers, and rappers want to be ballers” (sports adage)
Music and sports intersected so often in the late 1990s and early 2000s that it was often said that "ballers want to be rappers, and rappers want to be ballers." The term…
“Politics is a contact sport” (“Democracy is a contact sport”)
"Politics is a contact sport" means that politics is rough business, like the sport of boxing. Japanese politics was called a "contact sport" in June 1960. "Politics is a…
“Religion is for people who are afraid of hell; spirituality is for people who’ve been there”
"Religion is for people who fear hell, and spirituality is for people who have gone through hell (and don't want to go back)" is a saying that has been used by many 12-steps…
“No margin, no mission” (health care adage)
"No margin, no mission" began as a saying at Catholic and Presbyterian hospitals. The hospitals were owned by non-profits, but a hospital needed turn a profit ("margin") to…
“Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?” (motor sports adage)
"Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" is a saying that has been printed on gift items, such as T-shirts, caps and mugs. "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to…
“In confusion there is profit”
The comedy film Operation Petticoat (1959) was directed by Blake Edwards and starred Tony Curtis and Cary Grant; the script (the product of four writers) was nominated for an Academy Award. Lt.…
Mushroom Management (Mushroom Theory of Management; Mushroom Treatment)
"Mushroom management" (also called the "mushroom theory of management" or the "mushroom treatment") is a jocular employee relations term. One worked described a…