Leopard-spotting or Leoparding (charred “leopard spots” on pizza)
"Leopard spots" (also called "leopard-spotting" or "leoparding") are the black charred spots on the end crust (cornicione) of a pizza. The term is sometimes used for…
Tip Sag (pizza slice tip sag)
"Tip sag" is the degree to which a slice of Neapolitan pizza sags. The tip is usually loaded with hot, gooey cheese. On the pizza blog Serious Eats -- Slice, Adam Kuban wrote on May 18,…
Elimination Diet (Exclusion Diet)
The term "elimination diet" was popularized by Dr. Albert Holmes Rowe (1889-1970) in his books Food Allergy (1931) and Elimination Diets and the Patient's Allergies: A Handbook of…
“‘A’ students teach ‘B’ students to work for ‘C’ students”
A popular saying has it that "A" students become teachers and that "B" students work for "C" students. The saying appears to have been cited in print since at least…
“If you’re sick above the shoulders, run; below the shoulders, don’t run” (running adage)
A running adage says that it's OK to run if someone is sick above the shoulders (such as a head cold or a runny nose), but that one should not run if the problem is below the shoulders (such…
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans” (“Man plans, God laughs”)
"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" is a saying that's from the Yiddish proverb Der mentsh trakht und Gott lakht ("Man plans and God laughs"). Although the…
“If it’s stupid but works, it isn’t stupid”
"If it's stupid but (it) works, it isn't stupid" is one of "Murphy's Law of Combat" that was printed by David Evans in the Chicago (IL) Tribune in 1989; Evans…
“Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder” (military saying)
"Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder" -- that is, it's probably of the cheapest quality -- was part of a jocular "Murphy's Laws of Combat"…
“Take a song to church” (music saying)
A musical artist can "take a song to church," meaning to give a performance like one in a church. Adding a gospel choir is one way to "take a song to church." A singer who belts…
“A closed mouth doesn’t get fed”
"A closed mouth doesn't get fed" means that unless one open's one's mouth and communicates, one doesn't get "fed" information or answers. Similar sayings…
“Slicker than owl shit” (very slick)
To be "slicker than owl shit" is to be very slick. The expression is popular throughout the South, but possibly originated in Texas. "Alcalde oil is as slick as owl grease" was…
“You can’t take the honky tonk out of the girl”
"You can take the girl out of the honky tonk, but you can't take the honky tonk out of the girl" was a line in the film Sweet Home Alabama, released on September 27, 2002.…
Bankageddon (bank + Armageddon)
A "bankageddon" (bank + Armageddon) occurs when banks are unstable; there are bank runs and subsequent bank holidays (closures). The term "Bankageddon" (capitalized) has been…
“Work on the business, not in the business”
"Work on the business, not in the business" is a business saying that was probably coined by Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth series of books about business entrepreneurship.…
“Liquidity begets liquidity”
"Liquidity begets liquidity" is a financial saying meaning that once a market is proven to have liquidity (active buying and selling), more investors join in and there is more liquidity.…
“Good help is hard to find”
According to modern accounts, some slaveholders after the Emancipation Proclamation or after the Civil War refused to give up their slaves, stating "good help is hard to find." This story…
“One ‘aw, shit’ wipes out a thousand ‘attaboys’”
"One 'aw, shit' wipes out a thousand 'attaboys'" means that one mistake (also "aw. shucks" or "oh no") ruins many good works…
“Done like a dinner”
To be "done like a dinner" is to be finished and utterly defeated. "We did him then, and I'm glad he's done now: such a man as that ought to be done like a dinner" was…
“The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores”
College basketball coach and television commentator Al McGuire (1928-2001) is credited for saying, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." That is, a college…
Vaticanista (Vatican correspondent)
"Vaticanista" is an Italian word meaning a news correspondent in Vatican City who reports on the Holy See. The term "Vaticanista" (also "vaticanista") usually appears…