“The way taxes are today, you might as well marry for love”
"The way taxes are today, you might as well marry for love" has been credited (since the 1990s) to comedian Joe E. Lewis (1902-1971), but there's no evidence that Lewis even said it.…
“I don’t have a bank account because I can’t remember my mother’s maiden name”
Bank accounts sometimes require the account holder's mother's maiden name for security purposes. The comedienne Paula Poundstone said in the HBO comedy special Women of the Night (1988):…
“Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement”
U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) addressed the annual Gridiron Club dinner (usually a humorous occasion) in Washington, DC, both in 1986 and in 1988, saying: "Before I refuse to take…
Donkey Sauce
Guy Fieri, a restaurateur and Food Network personality, opened Guy's American Kitchen & Bar (220 West 44th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues) in New York City in the fall of 2012.…
“Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often”
"Actions speak louder than words" is a proverb that has been cited in print since about the 1600s. "Actions speak louder than words, but they do not speak as often" was cited in…
Generation XL
"Generation X" is a term that was popularized in 1991 to describe people born between the early 1960s and the early 1980s. "Generation XL" ("XL" meaning "extra…
Sushi Sickness
"Sushi sickness" was the Urban Dictionary's Urban Word of the Day for December 2, 2012, but the term has been little-used. "Sushi sickness" means an illness someone has…
Seagull Manager (Seagull Management)
Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager (1982) and other books, said in 1984: "A British friend of mine calls it the seagull-type of management. The big guy flies in, dumps on…
“A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship”
Colgate Hoyt (1849-1922), an American businessman, said in 1901: "Business founded on friendship is friendship endangered, but friendship founded on business is friendship assured." John…
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost”
The following three lines were printed in 1882 and credited as "Motto on the walls of a school in Germany"" When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;When health is lost, something is…
“If there’s anything a public servant hates to do it’s something for the public”
"If there's anything a public servant hates to do it's something for the public" is a popular cynical remark about the self-interest of "public servants." "If…
“Old people shouldn’t eat health foods; they need all the preservatives they can get”
Comedy writer Robert Orben wrote in 1978: "My rather elderly neighbor is complaining: 'I'm at that age when I'll have nothing to do with natural foods. I need all the…
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle”
"All things come to him who waits" was a popular proverb in the 19th century and is now popularly written as "good things come to those who wait." "All things come to him…
“Great ideas originate in the muscles”
"Great ideas originate in the muscles" means that the great ideas come from hard work. The quotation has been cited in print since at least 1991, when it was attributed to American…
“Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits”
"All things come to him who waits" was a popular proverb in the 19th century and is now popularly written as "good things come to those who wait." "Everything comes to him…
“There is no substitute for hard work”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Chronicling America26 October 1901, The Evening Star (Washington, DC), pg. 18, col. 3:From the Baltimore Sun.There is no substitute for hard work in winning success. There…
Moxie (carbonated beverage)
Moxie is a trademarked beverage that was originally bottled in 1884 and sold as "nerve food." Moxie advertising in 1940 contained the line "He's got Moxie!" -- defined in…
“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”
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…
“Pessimism never won any battle”
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…
RadioSlack or Radio Slack (RadioShack or Radio Shack nickname)
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…