Envirotard (environment + retard)
Environmental activists have been called many names. The derogatory nickname "envirotard" (environment + retard) has been cited in print since at least June 2003. Similar terms for an…
Enviroweenie (environment + weenie)
An "enviroweenie" (environment + weenie) is an unflattering name for a environmental supporter, with "weenie" meaning someone who is weak and unimportant. The term is usually…
Rabbits (dollars, or any fiat currency that can be printed in large amounts)
The first Belarusian ruble had a European hare on the currency, giving it the nickname of "rabbits." In July 2012, Simon Black of the Sovereign Man blog wrote a post from Ukraine titled…
“Thirsty days hath September” (beer rhyme)
Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933) resulted in the following popular parody rhyme, cited in print since at least June 1920: Thirsty days hath SeptemberApril, June and NovemberEvery…
“Water is good for only two things: floating ships and making beer”
"Water is good for only two things: floating ships and making beer" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The Denver (C) Post of January 24, 1996, credits the aphorism to…
“If your dog is fat, you’re not getting enough exercise”
"A fat dog is likely to have a fat master" was cited in print in 1958. Dogs and their owners often eat at the same time, and they both often walk (exercise) together. The saying "If…
“Worry is interest paid on trouble before it falls due”
"Worry -- interest paid on trouble before it falls due" has been cited in print since at least March 1906. The saying is often credited to English author William Ralph Inge (1860-1954),…
“A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty”
"The spirit of the optimist to whom every difficulty is an opportunity, and not as the pessimist, to whom every opportunity presents some difficulty" was printed in The Fifty-First Annual…
BarCrap (Barclays Capital or BarCap nickname)
Barclays bank has the website barcap.com (after Barclays Capital). The bank has been called "BarCap" and has occasionally been nicknamed "BarCrap" (or "Barcrap"). The…
“Tax bads, not goods”
"Tax bads, not goods" is a saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts and buttons. American ecological economist Herman Daly of the University of Maryland has used…
“In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom; in water there is bacteria”
"In vino veritas" is an ancient Latin phrase meaning "in wine there is truth." The saying arises from the belief that alcohol releases inhibitions and that a person tells the…
“You can’t steal second base while your foot is on first base”
"You can't steal second base while your foot is on first base" is a popular business proverb that uses baseball language. "Progress always involves risk. You can't steal…
“Take care of your pennies and your dollars will take care of your widow’s next husband”
"Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves" has been cited by The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (2009) to 1750; an Americanized version is "take care of the…
“Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder”
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder/beerholder" is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and buttons. "Beer" is a modern…
“Most people don’t care about your problems, and the rest are glad you have them”
A personal and a business adage holds that one should never tell people your troubles because "half don't care about your problems and the rest are glad that you have them."…
“Visualize Whirled Peas” (“Visualize Word Peace” pun)
"Visualize World Peace" was a popular bumper sticker saying, prompting the pun "Visualize Whirled Peas" bumper sticker (often with "Stop the Violins" printed above or…
Northwet (Pacific Northwest + wet); Northwetters
The Pacific Northwest receives so much rain that it has been dubbed the "Pacific Northwet" (Pacific Northwest + wet) and its inhabitants "Northwetters." The nicknames date from…
“Summer begins on the 5th of July in Portland”
For most of the United States, the start of summer is marked by Memorial Day at the end of May. For people who live in Oregon and Washington, the start of summer is marked by the day after the 4th…
“When pleasure interferes with business, give up business” (business proverb)
Business people often try to avoid mixing business with pleasure. The usual rule applied is that if pleasure interferes with business, one should give up the pleasure because one's livelihood…
“It takes nine months to make a baby, no matter how many people you put on the job”
"It takes nine months to make a baby, no matter how many people you put on the job" is a popular American business proverb. For some businesses, such as apple-picking in an orchard,…