Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Thomas Lyle Merton's book, Malice in Blunderland (1973), provided a satirical view of bureaucratic jargon. One "law" has remained popular: IMHOFFS LAW: "The organization of any…
"Success is dependent upon the glands -- sweat glands" means that success comes from hard work ("sweat"). Several newspapers in 1931 published the line: "A physician says…
"You don't get ulcers from what you eat; you get them from what's eating you" is a jocular line that has been credited to Dr. Albert Cliffe since at least 1950 and to Austrian…
The Wall Street Journal's October 15, 2012 article, "'Boomerang' Home Seekers Become Eligible for Mortgages and Hit Market Again" by Conor Dougherty and Dawn Wotapka,…
"Speech is silver; silence is golden" is an old proverb that means that it's often better to say nothing at all. "Silence is golden, (but) duct tape is silver" is a jocular…
"Best way to get rid of kitchen odors: Eat out" is a joke from comedienne Phyllis Diller (1917-2012), who often joked about her poor cooking skills. The joke has been cited in print since…
Cities such as Vancouver (British Columbia), Seattle (Washington) and Portland (Oregon) get a lot of rain. "The wet coast" was cited in the book Canada: This Land of Ours (1976). The term…
Vitamin A was named the "anti-infective vitamin" in 1928 by Edward Mellanby (1884-1955) and Harry N. Green, both doctors at the University of Sheffield. The "aniti-infective…
Magnesium is the fourth most common element on earth and can be found in diets with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Magnesium stabilizes the nervous system and has been called the…
Sports energy drinks (such as Red Bull) became popular in the 1990s; the sports drink Gatorade was developed in 1965. Several drinks have been called "nature's sports drink."…
Pistachio nuts were a common food in what is now northeastern Iraq since at least 6750 B.C. The pistachio has been promoted as the "skinny nut" since at least January 2009. The book The…
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) has been disliked by many (most?) American soldiers. A particularly unpopular offering was frankfurters and beans; the four frankfurters were nicknamed the "four…
Iceberg lettuce is a popular lettuce in the United States and is commonly served at restaurants, but it's mostly water and doesn't have the nutritional value or the flavor of other…
Vitamin K isn't as popularly known as other vitamins, but K1 is found in green vegetables and the vitamin helps maintain a healthy blood clotting system. Vitamin K has been nicknamed the…
Choline is a nutrient (usually grouped with B-complex vitamins) that can be found in milk, eggs and peanuts. Choline has been called the "memory vitamin" since at least 1998. Studies of…
Vitamin B6 (pyridozine) has been called the "woman's vitamin" (or "women's vitamin") because of its benefits for pregnant women and also for women with premenstrual…
Vitamin B1 (tiamine or thiamin) is found in eggs, lean meats, nuts, legumes, peas and whole grains. Vitamin B1 has infrequently been called the "vitamin of memory" since at least 2011.…
Vitamin E was discovered by Herbert McLean Evans (1882-1971) and Katharine Scott Bishop of the University of California-Berkeley in 1922. Evans and Bishop discovered in their experiments on rats…
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) can be found in many foods, such as whole-grain cereals, legumes, eggs, meat, avocado and yogurt. Vitamin B5 has been called the "anti-stress vitamin" (cited…
Vitamin D can be acquired through exposure to sunlight. The vitamin D nickname of the "sunshine vitamin" has been cited in print since at least 1927, when the nickname was used in…