Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
American cartoonist and writer Ted Key (1912-2008) did a series of posters and one illustrated saying achieved popularity: "Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.Autograph your…
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) said in July 1955: "We cannot look at this whole situation with out realizing first that pessimism never won any battle, whether it was in peace…
RadioShack consumer electronics retail store began in 1921 as "Radio Shack" and adopted "RadioShack" in 1995. The RadioShack nickname of "Radio Slack" has been cited…
RadioShack consumer electronics retail stores began in 1921 as "Radio Shack" and adopted "RadioShack" in 1995. The RadioShack nickname of "Radio Shaft" has been cited…
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company takes its name and inspiration from the movie Forrest Gump (1994); the characters Forrest Gump and Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue went into the shrimping business…
Taco Bell fast food restaurants have been nicknamed the derogatory term "Toxic Smell" since at least 1994. Other Taco Bell nicknames include "Toxic Hell" (cited in print since…
President Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (1890-1969) was campaigning for re-election in 1954 against Adlai Stevenson II (1900-1965), his Democratic challenger and a perceived intellectual…
President Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower addressed the nation on February 20, 1957, regarding the Suez Crisis. "We do, however, believe that upon the suppression of the present act of…
"Party on, dudes!" was a tagline to the film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. "Party on!" also achieved popularity in…
The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse -- that is, Congress must authorize how money is raised and spent. The term "power of the purse" dates to at least the 1600s,…
"Party down" means to celebrate with great enthusiasm. "Party Down" (1974) by Willie "Little Beaver" Hale and "Party Down" (1975) by Willie Hutch are soul…
A "putting green" is a bed of parsley, tightly packed like a golf putting green. The turn-in boxes at barbecue competitions feature "putting greens," some with shredded lettuce…
A "Texas penny" is a $100 bill. The slang originated with the "Marge's Son Poisoning" episode of the animated The Simpsons television show on November 13, 2005. A rich…
A popular bawdy children's chant (dating at least from the 1960s) is: "Milk, milk, lemonade, Around the corner where fudge is made." "Milk" is accompanied with the touching…
"Party hearty!" means to celebrate with great enthusiasm. "Make your party hearty" was in a 1973 print advertisement for Jeno's Pizza Rolls; "We Party Hearty" was…
"Beer thirty" (or "beer-thirty") means that it's time to drink beer -- whatever time it actually is. Beer thirty usually occurs after a work day in the late afternoon or…
Tim Hortons is a restaurant chain known for its coffee and donuts that began in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario. The popular nickname of Tim Hortons is "Timmy Ho's" (or "Timmy…
Nordstrom is a fashion retail chain that began in the early 1900s in Seattle, Washington. Nordstorm doesn't seemingly have any direct appeal for nerds, but the store has infrequently been…
McDonald's fast food restaurants have had a Ronald McDonald clown mascot since 1966. The McDonald's nickname of "Rotten Ronnie's" has been cited in print since at least the…
"History is a set of lies agreed upon" has usually been credited to Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) -- "La vérité historique est souvent une fable convenue." However, in 1758,…