Hong Kong on the Hudson (Hudson Yards)
The Hudson Yards on Manhattan's far west side are train tracks for the MTA's West Side Yard. In the 2000s, just after New York City lost its bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics (that would…
“Rehab is for quitters”
"Rehab is for quitters" is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts and posters. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1996 and is of…
“You don’t win silver—you lose gold”
Nike, Inc., an athletic apparel company, posted a billboard in Atlanta at the time of the 1996 Summer Olympics: "You Don't Win Silver — You Lose Gold." The advertisement was…
“If you’re not paying for it, you are the product”
MetaFilter poster blue_beetle wrote on August 26, 2010: "If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold." This means that, while Google and…
Victim Disarmament (gun control)
"Gun control" is a term used by people who advocate regulating guns; others prefer the term "victim disarmament." The term "victim disarmament" has been cited in print…
“Good to the last drop”
"Good to the last drop" means that a drink is so very good that no drop should be wasted. Maxwell House Coffee has trademarked the slogan, with 1910 as a date of first use. Newspaper…
“Some people are so busy learning the tricks of the trade that they never learn the trade”
"Some people are so busy learning the tricks of the trade that they never learn the trade" is a business aphorism that has been credited to American authors H. Jackson Brown, Jr., James…
“Experience gives us the tests first and the lessons later”
"Experience is the best teacher" is a proverb that can be traced back to classical Rome. "Experience gives us the tests first and the lessons later" is a popular saying, showing…
“Time is the best teacher; unfortunately, it kills all its students”
"Experience is the best teacher" is a proverb that can be traced back to classical Rome. The French composer Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) wrote in a letter in November 1856: "Le temps…
“The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread”
"The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread/roll" is a jocular saying that appears on many collections of one-liners. The Washingtonian of 1982 (the Google…
“Success comes in cans, not in can’ts”
"Success comes in cans, not in can'ts/cannots" (or "success comes in cans, failure in can'ts/cannots") is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items,…
“Failure is an event—not a person”
"Failure is an event, not/never a person" is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as buttons and posters. The saying is very popular in business; a business…
“Editorials like skirts—long enough to cover everything, short enough to be interesting”
The formula for good speaking and good writing has been compared to a woman's dress -- "it should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting." The saying…
“Some people grin and bear it; others smile and change it”
"Some people grin and bear it; others smile and change it" is a frequently cited approach to work and to life. "Better smile and change it, than grin and bear it" has been cited…
“It’s darkest before dawn, so that’s the best time to steal a neighbor’s newspaper”
“It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth” is a proverb from at least the 1600s. A modern jocular version, cited in print since at least 1996 and of unknown authorship, is:…
“No one is listening until you make a mistake”
"No one is listening until you make a mistake" is a jocular saying that has been printed on gift items, such as T-shirts and bumper stickers. The saying has been cited in print since at…
“Lawyer (n): larval stage of politician”
"Lawyer (noun) larval stage of politician" is a humorous definition that has been printed on many gift items, such as buttons and T-shirts. The definition has been cited in print since at…
“I keep trying to lose weight, but it keeps finding me”
"I keep trying to lose weight, but it keeps finding me" is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers. A version of the joke…
“I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing”
"Exercise in the morning before your brain figures out what you're doing" is a saying that has been printed on several posters. "I have to exercise early in the morning before…
“Even Popeye didn’t eat his spinach until he absolutely had to”
"Even Popeye didn't eat his spinach until he absolutely had to" is a humorous saying that has been printed on gift items, such as T-shirts and bumper stickers. The cartoon character…