Petrodollar
A "petrodollar" (petroleum + dollar) is a United States dollar earned by a country (such as an OPEC country) in the sale of its petroleum exports to another country. Georgetown University…
“Your money was working for you, but it suddenly quit and now it’s working for me!”
A cartoon in The New Yorker on November 5, 1990, by Leo Cullum (1942-2010), had a banker explain to his clients: "Your money was working for you, but it suddenly quit and now it's working…
“You can’t evict an idea” (Occupy Wall Street slogan)
"You can't evict an idea" was a slogan used by the Occupy Wall Street movement in November 2011; although the occupiers were evicted, their ideas were to remain. "You can't…
“Follow me to freshness” (H-E-B food truck slogan)
H-E-B is a large supermarket chain in Texas and northern Mexico. H-E-B food trucks can be seen on the major highways (such as I-35), with the slogan "Follow me to freshness" on the back.…
“Anyone who can’t get drunk by midnight ain’t tryin’” (Toots Shor)
Toots Shor (1903-1977) ran a restaurant/saloon that was popular with New York City sports and entertainment figures. In February 1945, the city started a midnight curfew for serving drinks. Shor…
Chief Everything Officer (Chief Executive Officer or CEO nickname)
A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a small company often must do many tasks. The nickname "Chief Everything Officer" has been cited in print since at least 1998. A 2006 book was titled:…
“Copper is the only commodity with a Ph.D. in economics” (Wall Street adage)
"Copper is the only commodity/metal with a Ph.D. in economics" is a Wall Street adage, resulting in the nickname "Dr. Copper." Copper is an important industrial metal. If…
Cheftestapant (chef + contestant + participant)
"Chetestapant" (chef + contestant + participant) has been used on the popular website Eater.com (cited in print since at least June 17, 2010), always in reference to the Bravo network…
High Finance
"High finance" means financial transactions that involve large sums of money. The term "high finance" has been cited in print since at least 1858, but began to be used with…
“Never work with children or animals” (show business adage)
"Never work with children or animals" is an old show business adage. Children and animals can behave unpredictably on the stage or movie set. Once the movie is made, the audience always…
“Merde!” (theatrical saying, meaning “good luck”)
"Je vous dis merde" or "Merde" ("shit" in English) is a theatrical saying meaning "good luck." Superstitious thespians believe that it's bad luck to…
Warvangelical (war + evangelical)
"Warvangelical" (war + evangelical) has been used by Laurence M. Vance on LewRockwell.com (a libertarian website) since July 25, 2007. The term "warvangelical" describes pro-war…
“Good theatre can be made with two boards and a passion” (theatre adage)
According to a popular adage, good theatre can be made with just "two boards and a passion." The saying is often also given as "three boards and a passion," "four boards…
“Get your hero up a tree, throw stones at him, then get him down” (playwriting adage)
The three act structure of drama has been described as: Act One -- get your hero character up a tree,Act Two -- throw stones/rocks at him, andAct Three -- get him down. The…
“Plays aren’t written, they’re rewritten” (theatre adage)
"Plays aren't written, they're rewritten" is an old theatre adage meaning that many changes are usually made during the rehearsal process, before the play officially opens. Dion…
Dallasonian (inhabitant of Dallas)
"Dallasonian” is the name of an inhabitant of Dallas, Texas. The name “Dallasonian” has been cited in print since at least 1932, but has been very rarely used. An inhabitant of Dallas is…
“Improvise, adapt and overcome” (Marine Corps motto)
"Improvise, adapt, (and) overcome" has become an unofficial motto of the United States Marine Corps and has also been used in business and in government. Clint Eastwood said these lines…
Second Avenue Subway Cough (Second Avenue Subway Syndrome)
The "Second Avenue Subway cough" (also called "Second Avenue Subway Syndrome") is a health problem associated with the construction of Manhattan's Second Avenue Subway. The…
“Amateurs open the market, but professionals close it” (Wall Street adage)
"Amateurs open the market, but professionals close it" is a stock market adage that's been cited in print since at least 1993. Amateurs submit their trading orders in the morning…
“Volume is validity” (Wall Street adage)
"Volume is validity" means that a high volume indicates (or validates) if people are bullish or bearish on a stock -- they buy it or sell it in droves. The saying "volume is…