Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status" is a one-line saying from educator and business author Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990). Peter…
"An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today" is a jocular one-line saying that has been credited to Kirk Kirkpatrick…
"The murals in restaurants are on a par with the food in museums" is a saying from American novelist Peter De Vries (1910-1993). "I do not know whether the retaliation is intentional…
American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963) told WQED, as reported in Collier's Illustrated Weekly in 1956: "People have got to think. Thinking isn't to agree or disagree. That's…
The expression "a bowl of cherries" means something wonderful and delicious. The song "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries" (1931) popularized the term. American humorist Erma…
Popcorn began to be popularly served at movie theaters in the 1940s. "Get your popcorn ready" was used in newspaper advertisements for cable television (where cable subscribers could…
"Alcohol doesn't solve any problems...but then again, neither does milk" is a jocular one-line saying, often included on websites in a group titled "Dilbert One Liners."…
The term "Great Disorder" has been cited in print since at least 1974 to describe China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Mao Zedong (1893-1976) sought to create "the great…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikiquote: Mark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, novelist, writer,…
The automaker Henry Ford (1863-1947) said "history is more or less bunk" in a 1916 newspaper interview. Ford is also usually credited with saying, "Exercise is bunk. If you are…
New York comedian Henny Youngman (1906-1998), known as the king of the one-line joke, stayed at a lot of hotels. "A girl was knocking on my hotel room door all night. Finally, I had to let her…
"What part of the chicken is the nugget/croquette/popcorn?" is the standard joke told about some chicken offerings at restaurants. "Chicken croquettes, eh? I say, waiter, what part…
"This is an elegant hotel -- room service has an unlisted number" is an old joke about hotel service. It was first said about the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in 1956: "The…
"If you educate a woman, you educate a family/nation" is a much-cited education adage that has been credited to many people. Catherine Esther Beecher (1800-1878), an American educator,…
Evian is a brand of mineral water from the French Alps (near Évian-les-Bain) that was introduced to the Untied States market in 1978. Evian quickly became popular with celebrities and the rich,…
"When injustice is/becomes law, resistance is/becomes duty" has been credited to such famous figures as Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Nelson Mandela, but there's no evidence that…
"Respect existence or expect resistance" (or "Respect my existence or expect my resistance") is a saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is unknown.…
New York City newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin (1930-2017) has often remarked that "'media' is the plural of 'mediocre'" (first cited by Breslin in print in 1978 or…
"Money talks” (meaning that money has influence) is an old financial saying, cited in print in various forms from before 1700. "Money talks" was printed in several American…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture promoted, from 1956 to 1992, the "basic four" food groups. There have been many parodies on the four basic food groups. "Four food groups: Fast,…