“Boisterous Sea of Liberty” (“Tempestuous Sea of Liberty”)
"Boisterous sea of liberty" and "tempestuous sea of liberty" both are from letters by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). In an April 24, 1796 letter to Philip Mazzei (1730-1816),…
“Love thy neighbor as thyself, but choose your neighborhood”
"Love thy neighbor as thyself" is in the Bible in Leviticus 19:18 and in several passages of the New Testament. "Love thy neighbor as thyself, but choose your neighborhood" is a…
“If God wanted us to fly, he would have given us tickets”
"If God had intended us to fly, He would have given us wings" is a popular anonymous proverb. The jet age of the 1960s added a different ending: "If God wanted us to fly, he would…
“Know thyself; if you need help, call the CIA”
"Know thyself" is an ancient Greek proverb that was inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. "Know thyself; if you need help, call the CIA/FBI" is a humorous one-line saying…
Circuit of the Americas (Austin racetrack)
Austin (TX) premiered in November 2012 the first track in the United States built specifically for Formula One racing. The name "Circuit of the Americas" was introduced to the public in…
Boat Check
A "boat check" is a sick leave payout given to an employee (usually in government) at retirement. The sick leave days are usually paid at the highest hourly rate, not at the rates the…
“My child is an honor student” (bumper sticker)
"My child is an honor(s) student at ____ school" is a bumper sticker that many schools have handed out. "My Child Is An HONOR STUDENT In The Durant Public Schools" (in Druant,…
“My kid beat up your honor student” (bumper sticker)
Many automobile bumper stickers declare that a driver's child has made a school's honor roll. "My kid beat up your honor student" is a jocular bumper sticker reply. "My kid…
“My kid got your honor student pregnant” (bumper sticker)
Many automobile bumper stickers declare that a driver's child has made a school's honor roll. "My kid got your honor(s) student pregnant" is a jocular bumper sticker reply.…
“Your child may be an honor student, but you’re still an idiot” (bumper sticker)
Many automobile bumper stickers declare that a driver's child has made a school's honor roll. "Your child may be an honor(s) student, but you're still an idiot" is a…
“The world is full of apathy, but I don’t care”
"The world is full of apathy, but I don't care" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on bumper stickers. "The world's full of apathy, but I don't…
“I hate coffee—it keeps me awake at work”
"I hate coffee -- it keeps me awake at work" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, caps and mugs. The saying -- a twist on "I hate coffee --…
“My liberty is more important than your stupid idea”
"My liberty is more important than your stupid idea" has been a bumper sticker saying since at least 2006. The saying means that government often has "ideas" with its…
“My freedom is more important than your good idea”
"My freedom is more important than your good idea" has been a bumper sticker saying since at least 2001. The saying means that government often has "good ideas" with its…
“Foreign aid is money transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries”
The Foreign Minister of the Netherlands said this about foreign aid in Hamburg's Der Spiegel magazine in 1969: "That's what poor people in rich countries pay to the rich people in…
Billionaire’s Belt
Michael Gross, author of books about 740 Park Avenue and 15 Central Park West, dubbed the area of midtown Manhattan between 57th and 59th Streets as the "Billionaire's Belt" in…
“The less important you are to the corporation, the more your tardiness or absence is noticed”
"Why is it that the less important you are in a company, the more your tardiness or absence is noticed?" was cited in print in 1998. "Kauffman's Paradox of the Corporation: The…
“Insurance covers everything except what happens”
"Miller's Law of Insurance: Insurance covers everything except what happens" has been cited in print since at least its publication in The Complete Murphy's Law: A Definitive…
“Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, until you realize it was your money to start with”
The Washington (DC) Post held a contest requesting new words from old words, with only one letter changed. One winner was declared in August 1998: "Intaxication: euphoria at getting a refund…
“The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights”
The Bible includes the sayings "The meek shall inherit the earth" (Psalms 37:11) and "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). "The meek shall…