Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
The United States House Committee on Appropriations is one of the most powerful of Congressional committees because of its responsibility of money expenditures. The chairs of its subcommittees have…
"Football is not just a matter of life and death; it's much more important than that" has been credited to Henry Russell "Red" Sanders (1905-1958), the UCLA football coach…
"Akaushi" is Japanese meaning "red cow" or "brown cattle," cited in English print since at least 1926. Akaushi cattle are a Wagyū breed, producing richly marbled and…
"Malazy" (malaise + lazy) is a word coined by the National Republican Senatorial Committee for a November 2011 political ad. The word "malazy" combines "malaise" --…
"Teaching is a work of heart" (also, "Nursing is a work of heart") is a popular slogan on T-shirts, bumper stickers, posters and other items. Both "Teaching is a work of…
"Catches win matches" (or "catches make matches") is a popular adage in the game of cricket. "Catches win matches" has been cited in print since at least 1953.…
David Haselkorn, the president of the Belmont, Mass.-based Recruiting New Teachers Inc., a nonprofit group that promotes teaching as a profession, said in 1996: "Teaching is the essential…
The Dallas Cowboys football team has a star logo, symbolizing the Lone Star State of Texas. The Cowboys fan saying of "fear the star" (i.e., other NFL teams should watch out for the…
"The game is the (best) teacher" is a popular saying among soccer coaches, meaning that players learn by playing the game. Tony Waiters and Bobby Howe popularized the saying in their…
"The ball never gets tired" (or "the ball doesn't get tired") is a popular soccer adage, cited in print since at least 1991. The saying means that players should pass the…
Phil Woosnam, the commissioner of the North American Soccer League, explained soccer to Americans in May 1974: "The rules are very simple. Basically it's this: If it moves, kick it. If it…
Minute Rice is a trademarked product that was introduced in 1949. It takes a few minutes to make Minute Rice, not necessarily just one minute. "So dumb/stupid you need a half hour (or hour) to…
"So dumb/stupid you need the recipe for ice cubes" is a food joke that dates to at least 1983. The joke has been used in collections of Polish jokes and Texas A&M Aggie jokes…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Zazzle.com'The Older I Get, The Better I Was!' T Shirts 28 November 1965, Oregonian (Portland, OR), "East Oregon Desert Produces Own Mark Twain" by E.…
"Fighters don't retire from the ring; the ring retires fighters" is a boxing adage popularized by Bernard Hopkins, Jr., also called "The Executioner." Hopkins became the…
"Statistics are for losers" means that the only statistic that matters is if a team won or lost -- not individual statistics, such as how many yards a player gained or how many points a…
"Statistics are like a Bikini bathing suit. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital" was said by economist (and later Baruch College professor) Aaron Levenstein,…
"If you can't beat them, join them" is a proverb that was popular in the early 20th century. A hockey variant (showing hockey's violence) is, "if you can't beat them,…
Joe Jacobs (1896-1940), the manager of boxer Max Schmeling (who had just lost a decision to Jack Sharkey at Madison Square Garden on June 21, 1932), grabbed a microphone and told the world,…
Radio listeners and television viewers are often told to "stay tuned (to this station)" for the next program or for breaking news reports. The used of "stay tuned" dates to the…