Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"Information is power" is a saying that has been cited in print to at least 1902. Internet activist Aaron Swartz (1986-2013) wrote a Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto in July 2008 that…
American author and farmer Wendell Berry wrote in Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays (1993): "There is no connection between food and health. People are fed by the food…
"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, you'll be successful" is a saying that has appeared on many posters and has been popularzed by Eric Thomas, author of The…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksChoose the Life: Exploring a Faith that Embraces DiscipleshipBy Bill HullGrand Rapids, MI: Baker Books2004Pg. 107:As the African proverb tells us, “If you…
American clergyman and activist Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) wrote in the book Strength to Love (1963): "Light has come into the world, and every man must decide whether he will walk in…
"Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living" is usually credited to physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), but this form of the saying seems to have been cited in print…
"Customer service is not a department, it’s an attitude" (also ""Customer service is not a department, it’s a philosophy" and "Customer service is not a…
Going "the extra mile" is business means not cutting corners to save money or time, but giving extra service to a customer to provide satisfaction. "The 'extra mile' will…
"There is an old saying that good intentions don't move mountains; bulldozers do," wrote management author Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) in Managing the Non-Profit Organization:…
Smith & Wesson is a firearms manufacturer. A popular bumper sticker is "This Car/Vehicle Is Insured By Smith & Wesson" -- that is, the driver carries a Smith & Wesson firearm…
The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky, received its first gold shipments in 1937. The expression "all the gold in Fort Knox" (meaning riches worth an immense sum)…
"The mail must go through" is a phrase that exemplifies the hardships and successes of 19th century mail carriers, such as the pony express (1860-61). The saying was popularized by…
"A hosue is not a home without a dog" is a saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as signs, plaques and mugs. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1968. 30…
"Room service? Send up a larger room!" is a line spoken by Groucho Marx (1890-1977) in the movie Room Service (1938). The film script was written by Morrie Ryskind (1895-1985). The line…
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" is a quote that is usually attributed to Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), but there is no evidence that he ever…
"Imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery" was written by Charles Caleb Cotton in 1820. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" is a quotation that has been credited…
"That's show business" (also "That's show biz" or "That's showbiz") means something similar to "That's life!" -- there's bad along…
“Service is the rent we pay for a room on earth" was cited in print in 1917 (when it was an inscription over the doorway of a hospital in India) and is of unknown authorship. The saying is…
"Shrouds have no pockets" means that earthly possessions can't be taken along when people die. The saying was popularly expressed in this frequently reprinted October 1858 newspaper…
One of the most popular of all lawyer jokes is: "What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?""A good start." The joke became famous when it was spoken by actor…