“Do not adjust your set”
In the early days of television, both the transmission and the television sets performed poorly. A broadcast frequently announced "Please do not adjust your receiver/set" to explain a…
“If you win the morning, you win the day” (radio adage)
"As the morning goes, so goes the station" was the slogan of WNBC (New York, NY) station manager Perry Bascom in 1972. Bascom -- a former president of Radio Advertising Representatives --…
Poop (three-point shot in basketball)
New York Knicks basketball player Shawne Williams was known for his three-point accuracy during the 2010-11 NBA season. On the Knicks blog Posting and Toasting on December 5, 2010, Thelonious Dunk…
French Silk Chocolate Pie
"French Silk Chocolate Pie" by Mrs. Kendall (Betty) Cooper of Silver Spring, MD, won the $1,000 "best in class - pie" award at the 1951 Pillsbury Bake-Off, held at New…
Anchorman or Anchor Man (America’s Anchorman)
A news anchorman (or anchorwoman) leads the program, introducing news reporters and commentators. The term "anchor man" has a long use in sports. In tug-of-war, the anchorman is the last…
“Holy guacamole!”; “Holy cannoli!”
"Holy guacamole!" (cited in print since at least 1968) and "Holy cannoli!" (cited in print since at least 1982) are two popular food exclamations. "Holy guacamole!"…
“Innovate or die”
"Innovate or die" is a popular slogan for business innovation. The computer industry frequently used the saying since at least 1996, and it was used by Microsoft Corp. and its founder,…
“To my customer: I may not have the answer, but I’ll find it…”
One of the most popular of customer service quotations is this: "To my customer: I may not have the answer, but I'll find it. I may not have the time, but I'll make it. I may not be…
“If you miss the ball, don’t miss the leg” (soccer adage)
"If you missed the ball, don't miss the leg/man/bone" is a soccer adage popular in West African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. The saying means that if you strike your leg out…
NOTA (None Of The Above)
"NOTA" (None Of The Above) is often a favorite political candidate. The term "NOTA" has been cited in print since at least 1972 and the state of Nevada did add "none of the…
Up or Down Vote (thumbs up or thumbs down)
An "up or down vote" is a straight "yea or nay" vote on an amendment or a bill. An "up or down vote" can also be called a "clean vote," although that usually…
Clean Vote
A "clean vote" is a straight "up-or-down" ("yea-or-nay") vote on an issue. Sometimes a bill is blocked by Congressional procedures, or amendments are added to a bill,…
Caucus
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: CaucusA caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has…
Origin of “Hawkeye” (Iowa nickname)
A person from Iowa is called a "Hawkeye" and Iowa is called the "Hawkeye State." The name "Hawkeye" was popularized by author James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), who…
Origin of “Boomer”/“Sooner” (Oklahoma nickname) - summary
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: SoonersSooners is the name given to settlers in the midwest of the United States who entered the Unassigned Lands in what is now the state of Oklahoma before…
“Wine is bottled poetry” (“Wine is poetry in a bottle”)
Scottish novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson visited Caliornia's Napa Valley and spoke to its wine growers in 1880, resulting in the travel memoir The Silverado Squatters (1883).…
“Golfer’s Diet: Live on greens as much as possible”
"Golfer's Diet: Live on greens as much as possible" is a joke that has been cited in print since at least 1936. In the widely reprinted joke, a wife tells her husband that he's…
“The difference between golf and government is that in golf you can’t improve your lie”
"The difference between golf and government is that in golf you can't improve your lie" is a joke that plays on the meanings of "lie" ("to not tell the truth" or…
“Get big, get niche or get out” (business adage)
"Get big, get niche or get out" is a popular saying in the information technology (IT) industry, particularly in the UK. The saying means that a business can survive by "getting…
“Water separates the people of the world, wine unites them”
"Water separates the people of the world, wine unites them" (or, "wine brings them/people together") is a saying of unknown origin that has been cited in print since at least…