Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
A creditor wants to be paid back, so a creditor wishes a debtor good physical and financial health. "Quickest way to get back on your feet is to miss a couple of car payments!" has been…
The playwright and drama critic George S. Kaufman (1889-1961) has been said to have reviewed the comedic play Skylark (1939), by Samson Raphelson, that starred the English actress Gertrude Lawrence…
The playwright and drama critic George S. Kaufman (1889-1961) has been credited with saying this about an unsuccessful comedic play: "There was laughter in the back of the theater, leading to…
The shortest review of a play is credited to Heywood Broun (1888-1939), who allegedly wrote this simple dismissal of the play's proceedings: "It opened at 8:30 sharp and closed at 10:40…
A good seat in a theater can sometimes add to the enjoyment of the entertainment; a bad seat can make the stage difficult to see or hear. A famous theatrical saying (cited in print since at least…
"Business was so bad they were shooting deer in the balcony" is an old Broadway saying. The actor George Jessel (1898-1981) said this in 1928 to describe the immense proportions of the…
J. M. Barrie's character of "Peter Pan" ("the boy who wouldn't grow up") has been featured in novels, stage plays, musicals and films. Peter Pan believes to himself…
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was established as the Bureau of Labor in 1884. Some of the statistics that it compiles include the consumer price index and unemployment rates. Critics of…
The Staten Island Zoo has celebrated each Groundhog Day (February 2nd) since 1982 with "Staten Island Chuck," also known as "Charles G. Hogg." If "Chuck" sees his…
"A movement is over when the news is out" is an old Wall Street adage, cited in print since at least 1906. The price of an asset reflects current value, but it also reflects what is…
"You know you're in a bear market when people are losing money but feeling pretty good about it. -- Wall Street Adage" has been on the "Food for thought" section on the…
A popular jazz adage has it that "it's the notes you don't play" that are as important as the ones that you do. Jazz great Miles Davis (1926-1991) is often credited with the…
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…
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" 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…
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.…
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…
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/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…
"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…