“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do”
"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do" means that a reputation is build on achievement, not on potential achievement. James J. Hill (1838-1916), the chief…
“Only Robinson Crusoe had all his work done by Friday”
Robinson Crusoe (1719) is a novel by Daniel Defoe about a castaway who spends many years on a tropical island, far from the contact of an European. Crusoe rescues a native and names him Friday,…
“The older a man gets, the farther he had to walk to school as a boy”
"The older a man gets, the farther he had to walk to school as a boy" is a joke based on fathers who embellish their alleged hard scrabble beginnings. The kids today have it easy; the…
“Four years ago, I couldn’t spell engineer; now I are one”
"Four years ago, I couldn't spell engineer/injuneer, and now I are one" is a joke saying suggesting that an engineering education doesn't necessarily require much English. There…
“If it weren’t for caffeine, I’d have no personality whatsoever”
"If it weren't for caffeine, I'd have no personality whatsoever" is a jocular saying about coffee drinkers. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1995 and is of…
“Alcohol and calculus don’t mix—never drink and derive”
"Alcohol and calculus don't mix -- never drink and derive" is a humorous saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts. The "never drink and derive" pun…
Liebor or Limor (London Interbank Offered Rate or Libor nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: LiborThe London Interbank Offered Rate is the average interest rate estimated by leading banks in London that they would be charged if borrowing from other…
Spexit (Spain/Spanish + exit)
"Spexit” (Spain/Spanish + exit) is a word created to define a possible Spanish exit from the eurozone. "Spexit" has been cited in print since at least May 2012. "Grexit"…
Brixit (Great Britain/British + exit)
"Brixit” (Great Britain/British + exit) is a word created to define a possible British exit from the eurozone. "Brixit" has been cited in print since at least June 2012. A similar…
Gerxit (Germany/German + exit)
"Gerxit” (Germany/German + exit) is a word created to define a possible German exit from the eurozone. "Gerexit" has been cited in print since at least May 2012. "Grexit"…
Bean Counter (an accountant)
A "bean counter" (or "bean-counter") is an accountant or someone else who checks numbers (usually financial numbers), as if that person is counting beans.…
“Spill the beans” (to reveal a secret)
To "spill the beans" means to reveal a secret. "Spill the beans" has been cited in print since at least 1899, when it was cited in horse racing, meaning something similar to…
Softball Question
A "softball question" is a question that is easy to answer. Political candidates usually like softball questions because answering them makes the candidates appear strong and in control.…
“On the same page” (teamwork saying)
To be "on the same page" is for several people to work together for a common goal. The saying possibly originated from the arts. Actors in the theatre must all be on the same page of a…
Five-Second Rule (for food dropped on the floor)
A "five-second rule" (sometimes given as a "three-second rule") holds that if you pick up food within five seconds of it falling to the floor, that food is still safe to eat.…
“The camera looks both ways” (photography adage)
"The camera looks both ways" is a photography adage popularized by the Canadian nature photographer Freeman Patterson. In his book, i>Photography for the Joy of It (1977), Patterson…
Foie-mageddon (foie gras + Armageddon)
The state of California instituted a first-in-the-nation ban on foie gras on July 1, 2012. Foie gras lovers dubbed it "foie-mageddon" (foie gras + Armageddon) by June 2012 as the last…
“Knee-high by the Fourth of July” (corn-growing adage)
"Knee-high on the Fourth of July" is a popular American agricultural saying that has been cited in print since at least 1854. If a corn crop had reached the height of…
“Solo home runs don’t beat you” (baseball adage)
"Solo home runs/homers don't/won't beat/hurt/harm/kill you" is a baseball saying cited in print since at least 1986. A solo home run accounts for only one run, leaves no runners…
Treason magazine (Reason magazine nickname)
Reason magazine was founded in 1968 as an American libertarian monthly. People who believe that Reason no longer represents true libertarian ideals have nicknamed it Treason (or tReason) magazine.…