Big Empty (Texas plains)
"The Big Empty" is the moniker that Jim W. Corder (1929-1998) called the Texas plains. In his book, Lost in West Texas (1988), Corder wrote: "The territory I love out there is not…
Parm (parmigiana)
"Parm" is a shortened form of "parmigiana." "Eggplant Parm." has been cited in print since at least 1968. 'Eggplant parm" (without the period) has been cited…
McDo (McDonald’s nickname)
McDonald's fast food restaurants have been called "McDo" in French-speaking areas (the city of Paris probably originated it) since at least the 1980s. McDonald's has offered an…
“Sorry, you can’t come in here without a Thai” (restaurant joke)
A popular food joke describes people of many nationalities attempting to enter a fine restaurant. A snooty maître d' delivers the punchline: "Sorry, you can't come in here without a…
Terroirist (terroir + -ist)
"Terroir" is a popular wine term that is difficult to translate from the French, but means "soil" or "a sense of place." A French wine, for example, should exhibit…
“When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil”
American journalist and author Max Lerner (1902-1992) wrote in Actions and Passions; Notes on the Multiple Revolution of Our Time (1949): "When you choose the lesser of two evils, always…
“Do you know where Central Park is?...OK, I’ll mug you here”
New York City in the 1960s and 1970s was crime-ridden; there were constant stories about tourists being mugged in and around Central Park. A joke from 1971 has a shady person approaching a tourist…
“Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex”
The musician Frank Zappa (1940-1993) often spoke about politics, usually in defense of Constitutional first amendment protections of the freedom of speech and expression. In The Real Frank Zappa…
“Today’s gossip is tomorrow’s headline”
"Today's gossip is tomorrow's headline" is what gossip columnist Liz Smith frequently credited (since the 1970s) to earlier gossip columnist Walter Winchell (1887-1972).…
“Gossip is news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress”
Liz Smith (1923-2017) began a gossip column in the New York (NY) Daily News on February 16, 1976; she made frequent appearances on NBC's Live at Five and other television shows, and she also…
“Three chords and the truth” (“Country music is three chords and the truth”)
"Country music is three chords and the truth" (or "Country music ain't nothing but three chords and the truth") has been credited to country music songwriter Harlan Howard…
“Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty”
"Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty" has been credited to Mark Twain (the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemons, 1835-1910), but there's no evidence…
World’s Greatest Ballroom or World’s Most Famous Ballroom (Roseland Ballroom)
The Roseland Ballroom was originally located at Broadway and 51st Street when it opened in 1919; in 1956, Roseland moved to its current location at West 53rd Street, just off Broadway. Roseland has…
“Money talks, but credit has an echo” (“Money talks, but credit uses sign language”)
"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 last time I was inside a woman was when I visited the Statue of Liberty”
Film actor, writer and director Woody Allen had his character "Clifford Stern" speak this line in the film Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989): "My love life is terrible. The last time I…
“Men are like bank accounts—without a lot of money, they don’t generate much interest”
"Men are like bank accounts -- without a lot of money, they don't generate much interest" is a humorous one-line saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters,…
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last—well, neither does bathing”
Billy Sunday (1862-1935) was a popular American evangelist. Someone once commented to him that his conversions don't last. Sunday replied ( a version is cited in print in 1917), "Of…
“The Roman numerals for forty (40) are XL” (i.e., weight gain at 40 makes one Xtra Large)
Many people get fat when they are in their forties. "Fat, fair and forty" is a British satirical print from 1786. "Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are…
“It’s not whether you win or lose, but who gets the blame”
Grantland Rice (1880-1954) wrote, "For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name; He marks -- not that you won or lost -- but how you played the Game." "It's…
“Golf is a game in which you yell ‘fore,’ shoot six, and write down five”
"Golf is a game in which you yell 'fore,' shoot six, and write down five" is a jocular one-line saying that has been included in many golf books and articles. "Golfer: One…