Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"A diplomat's life is made up of three ingredients: protocol, Geritol and alcohol" was a popular saying of at least two statesmen in the 1950s and 1960s. (Geritol is a trademarked…
Newspapers often headline stories about wars and murders. "A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers" is a definition that has been cited in print since at…
A block grant is a sum of money that is given by the federal government to state and local governments under certain programs, such as education, healthcare and transportation. "The First Law…
A filibuster is when a legislator takes the floor and doesn't surrender it, usually in an effort to prevent a vote on a certain proposal. The legislative process must wait until the filibuster…
"Chef Any cook who swears in French" is from Cooking: A Cook's Dictionary (1985) by humorist Henry Beard and illustrator Roy McKie. The jocular definition has been frequently cited.…
"Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don't" has usually been credited to Earl Wilson (1907-1987), who wrote a New York (NY) Post syndicated entertainment…
"The quality of a champagne is judged by the amount of noise the cork makes when it is popped" is a jocular statement about champagne, meaning that the experience of drinking it -- the…
"Out of my mind -- back in five minutes" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters, bumper stickers and T-shirts. It's a humorous variation of the…
"A fool and his money are soon parted" is a popular English proverb that dates to the 1500s. An American version is "a fool and his money are soon partying," meaning that fools…
"The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket" is a popular saying and a response to shady financial operators who promise to "double your…
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was assassinated in Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, while watching the play Our American Cousin. Fletcher Knebel (1911-1993), author of the satirical column about…
"Thou shalt not weight more than thy refrigerator" is a saying (often associated with other "kitchen sayings") that has been cited in print since at least 1998. The saying has…
The word "whiskey" comes from the Gaelic word for "water." Ireland often claims to have invented whiskey, although Scotland now manufactures more of it. "Whiskey was…
"Public education" is often jocularly misspelled "publik edukashun" to ridicule its quality. ""Another brilyunt mind diztroyed by the publik edukashun sistum" has…
The expressions "holding all the cards" is derived from playing cards and means to have an advantage. "Ever notice, when finally you've got to a position where you're…
A financial "nest egg" is money that is saved up -- usually for an event such as retirement. Inflation makes money worth less and can reduce money that is saved. "Inflation is when…
Prunes are known to be nature's laxatives. The bumper sticker "Start A Movement -- Eat A Prune" (a joke on "bowel movement") has been cited in print since at least 1973.…
People often save items (such as baseball cards) with the belief that some day they will be worth a larger sum of money. What about someone who saves money? "Save yer money. Some day it may be…
"There's always free cheese in a mousetrap" means a combination of "there is no such thing as a free lunch," "you can't get something for nothing" and…
"An expert is a man who avoids the small errors as he sweeps on to the grand fallacy" is a jocular statement showing that experts can be technically correct in small matters and yet…