Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time" is a popular saying that newspapers and magazines have used to promote advertising. The…
"If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got" has been cited in print since at least 1984. The saying was used in weight control and wellness,…
In her book Metropolitan Life (1978), author Fran Lebowitz wrote: "There are a number of reasons for this, chief among them being that to me the outdoors is what you must pass through in order…
"Nothing kills a bad product faster/quicker than good advertising" is a popular advertising adage. The adage means that good advertising makes people aware of a product, but if the…
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life" is a popular saying meaning that if you love what you're doing, then it isn't work. "Find…
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 by member states in North America and Europe for collective defense (against what at that time was the Soviet Union). The…
"Feet first, stick second" is one of several lacrosse rules for playing defense. The most important thing on defense is to be in position (with the feet), and only then can a player…
"Old soldiers never die -- they just fade away” is an old saying that was popularized by General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in his farewell address to Congress on April 19, 1951. Many…
"Plan your dive and dive your plan" is a popular diving adage, cited in print since at least 1970. A carefully planned dive that is dived according to that plan can be a successful dive.…
"Strike for show and spare for dough" is a popular bowling adage, cited in print from at least 1987 and 1996. The saying means that most people don't always bowl all strikes and have…
"Drive for show and putt for dough" is a popular rhyming golf adage, but the saying has had many non-rhyming forms. "We drive for pleasure, but we putt for money" was said by…
"You're only as good as your second serve" is a popular tennis adage. There are two chances for a player to get a serve into the proper court; a player often tries a hard serve the…
"Pace makes the race" is a frequently used horse racing adage. A fast pace might help some horses, while a slower pace might help other kinds of horses. The saying "pace makes the…
General Motors (GM) is an automotive company headquartered in Detroit; New York City's General Motors Building is at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street in Manhattan. In 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11…
"Don’t compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the alternative" is a political saying meaning that no candidate is perfect (like the Almighty), but he or she -- however flawed --…
Alan K. Simpson, a Wyoming U.S. senator from 1979-1997, co-chaired President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform with Erskine Bowles (leading to the more familiar…
"There are three good reasons to be a teacher: June, July and August" is an old joke about the teaching profession, perhaps outdated for teachers who work in June. "Three good…
"If you want it bad, you (will) get it bad" means that if you want something "bad" (quickly) without the time to do it right, you will get it "bad" (poorly done). The…
The grade of "C" is often seen as a middling grade, earned by someone who gets by but does not excel. The term "gentleman's mark" for the grade "C" has been cited…
"Grexit" (Greece/Greek + exit) is a word created to define a possible Greek exit from the eurozone. The term was coined in February 2012 by Citigroup economists Willem Buiter and Ebrahim…