Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"The best description of 'utter waste' would be a busload of lawyers to go over a cliff with three empty seats" was said by Lamar Hunt, owner of football's Kansas City…
"The devil makes his Christmas pie of lawyers' tongues and clerks' fingers" is often said to be an old English proverb, but it appears to be an Italian proverb. John Florio…
American film producer Samuel Goldwyn (1879-1974) was known for his humorous misstatements or malapropisms that became known as "Goldwynisms." One famous "Goldwynism" was when…
"Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit" was said by comedian George Carlin (1937-2008) in his bestselling book
Basketball's foul line is called the "charity stripe" (or "charity line") because, after a player gets fouled (sometimes with a hard hit), that player gets…
Detroit Lions Football Hall of Fame offensive guard Lou Creekmur (1927-2009) was 30 years old in 1957 when he said: "When you win. you're an old pro; when you lose, you're an old…
"Old soldiers never die -- they just fade away” is an old saying that was popularized by General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in his farewell address to Congress on April 19, 1951. Many…
American film producer Samuel Goldwyn (1879-1974) was known for his humorous misstatements or malapropisms that became known as "Goldwynisms." One famous "Goldwynism" was when…
Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) wrote in the essay "What Is Art?" (1897; English translation 1898): "A friend of mine, speaking of the relation of critics to artists, half…
"Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp post how it feels about dogs" was said by playwright Christopher Hampton (born in 1946) in the Sunday Times…
"Old soldiers never die -- they just fade away” is an old saying that was popularized by General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in his farewell address to Congress on April 19, 1951. Many…
"An accountant is a man hired to explain that you didn't make the money you did" is a jocular definition of an accountant. "Accountant: A man hired to explain that you…
"Ability is what will get you to the top if the boss has no daughter" is an old saying about business that is of unknown authorship. "Ambition — What will get you to the top if the…
"A gentleman is a man who can play the saxophone/bagpipes/accordion but doesn't" is an old joke of unknown authorship. a gentleman is a man who can play a cornet but won't"…
Irish poet and playwright Brendan Behan (1923-1964) is often credited for saying, "Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but…
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began in 1943 and is headquartered on Manhattan’s Upper West Side (near Lincoln Center). ABC is often called the "alphabet network" because its…
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began in 1943 and is headquartered on Manhattan’s Upper West Side (near Lincoln Center). The network's news division was so bad in the 1960s (trailing…
To say that someone has "a voice for print" is to say that the voice is so bad that it shouldn't be on radio or television. "A voice for print" has been cited in print…
A president of the United States can serve only two four-year terms (according to the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution). During a president's second term, the office holder…
According to the Harbaugh family, father Jack Harbaugh was an assistant football coach at the University of Iowa in 1972 when he told his sons Jim (born in 1963) and John (born in 1962) this…