Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching" is a quotation about success that has been included in many quotation collections. "Our idea of the average…
"The statesman shears the sheep, the politician skins them" is from Austin O'Malley's book, Keystones of Thought (1914). O'Malley's thought has been included in many…
"Beer is now cheaper than gas -- drink, don't drive" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers. According to a 2008…
Many athletes go to great lengths to get any edge they can against their competition; this often includes taking performance-enhacing drugs. "If you're not cheating, you're not…
"Don't drink and drive -- you might hit a bump and spill your drink" is a jocular saying that has been printed on gift items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers and posters. The…
"Bureaucrats cut red tape -- lengthwise" (that is, in the least efficient way) is a joke that was printed on bumper stickers in the 1980s. The joke has been cited in print since at least…
Professional athletes often accept less money to be on successful teams, where playoff money is likely and there is a good chance of winning a championship. A championship team usually awards its…
In Arizona, Texas and other parts of the west, the temperature often averages over 100 degrees during the summer. "But it's a dry heat!" is the clichéd response that some natives…
Wasterwater from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex flows downstream 250 miles in the Trinity River and into Lake Livingston, where the city of Houston gets its water. "Flush twice/often --…
"Hope is a bad/crappy/lousy/poor/shitty hedge" means that one shouldn't rely on hope. A similar phrase is "hope is not a strategy." Erik R. Sirri, a director of the…
A "scampaign" (scam + campaign) is a campaign -- a political campaign or a campaign for a specific cause or business -- that contains fraud and can be called a "scam."…
"You can't fax a handshake" is a business expression that means there is no substitute for face-to-face contact with a client. "You can't fax a handshake" was a slogan…
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize. -- Voltaire" suddenly became the subject of "Quote of the Day" on several websites in 2012, even…
"The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does" is a jocular saying about retirement that has been included in many quotation collections. The saying…
"Retired: Goodbye tension! Hello pension!" is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, hats, buttons and posters. The saying has been printed on…
"A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you've purchased new school clothes" is a jocular statement that has been included in several lists of one-liners. The…
Sports Illustrated recorded a quote in its September 23, 1985 issue by San Francisco Giants third base coach Rocky Bridges. Bridges was asked why he refused to eat snails and he replied, "I…
"Summer vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid" is a one-line saying that has been printed on many images. "Summer vacation - a time when parents…
PROVERB: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." ANTI-PROVERB: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to…
Spain requested a financial bailout from the Eurozone in 2012. CNBC popularized the name "Spailout" (Spain/Spanish + bailout) in news articles on June 10th and 11th, 2012. Twitter use of…