Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"Calling children strong and able -- clear your/the dishes off the table" is a saying that has been in print since at least 2006. The saying has been put on various gift items and has…
"Bless the cook who serves love and laughter" is a traditional-sounding blessing that has been printed on T-shirts and other gift items. The saying, however, has been cited in print from…
"Good bread/wine, good meat, good God/Lord/gosh/heavens, let's eat" is a jocular saying of "grace" before a meal. "Good bread, good meat, good Lord, let's…
"Wine in, whine out" (that is, when there is wine there is no more whining) is a saying that has been put on T-shirts and other items. The saying has been cited in print since the book…
"A backyard barbecue draws two things...flies and relatives" was popularized by a list of "Truisms" that has been on the Internet since 2003. The saying has been put on…
"Money will buy a dog, but only love will make him wag his tail" has been printed in many newspapers since 1921, when it was described as an epigram from India. In 1923, Forbes magazine…
"Theatre is life, cinema/film is art, and television is furniture" is an aphorism frequently used in the entertainment world. The saying has been put on T-shirts since at least January…
A "tomahawk" dunk is when the ball is held with both hands above or behind a player's head, and then sent "chopping" like a tomahawk through the basket. The…
The Air America radio network began in March 2004 and ended in January 2010; it attempted to provide a liberal alternative to conservative talk radio. Critics of Air America nicknamed it "Err…
The expressions "no pain, no gain" and "no gain without pain" have been traced back many hundreds of years and have been said to be Jewish and Japanese proverbs. "No pain,…
A "windmill" slam dunk in basketball is when a player's arm acts like a windmill in sending the ball through the basket. "Windmill" dunk has been cited in print since at…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Hockey puckA puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major…
"Wage-slavery" (or "wage slavery") is when a person is living paycheck-to-paycheck and cannot afford to leave a job to look for a better one. That person is a "wage…
A person might make a display of excessive public affection for another, causing others to remark, "Get a room!" (That is, go to a motel room and show your affection for one another…
"Generation Debt" refers to a generation of young citizens who will have to pay off crushing personal college debts and a crushing federal debt, all while trying to find a good job in a…
"Debt-serfdom" (or "debt serfdom") is a condition where someone works like a serf or slave to eliminate a large debt. The term "debt serfdom" has existed since at…
"I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet" means that, while one can despair about one's wealth or situation, there is always someone poorer or less…
"Lean beef trimmings" is the official name of a product by Beef Products Inc. of ground-up connective tissue and beef scraps. The mixture is treated with ammonia hydroxide to kill…
"Political campaign: a matter of mud, threats, and smears" appeared in a humor handbook in 1958 and was used to describe John F. Kennedy's campaign in 1960. "Mud, threat(s) and…
Whataburger is a chain of fast food restaurants (specializing in the "Whataburger" hamburger) that began in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. People often call "Whataburger" as…