“There’s always work at the post office”
In the 1987 film Hollywood Shuffle, Bobby Taylor's (the actor-director Robert Townsend) grandmother tells him that if his Hollywood dreams don't work out, "There's always work…
“Truth has no expiration date” (“Truth never perishes”)
“The Truth Has No Expiration Date” is the title of a short Internet video on September 14, 2011. The video discusses "9-11 Truth" on the tenth anniversary of the attacks of September…
Americagasm or Amerigasm (America + orgasm)
An "Americagam" or "Amerigasm" (America + orgasm) is an excessive display of American patriotism. "Amerigasm" has been cited in print since at least October 2006 amd…
Fed Up
Entry in progress -- B.P, Free Merriam-Webster Dictionaryfed up adj Definition of FED UP: tired, sated, or disgusted beyond endurance First Known Use of FED UP1900 The Free Dictionaryfed…
Department of Homeless Insecurity (Department of Homeland Security or DHS nickname)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed in 2002, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The DHS operates the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Citizenship and…
Department of Homeland Insecurity (Department of Homeland Security or DHS nickname)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed in 2002, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The DHS operates the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Citizenship and…
“Bury the lede” (“Bury the lead”)
"Bury(ing) the lead/lede" in a newspaper article means that the important part of the article is several paragraphs down -- where many newspaper readers might not catch it. A poor…
“Death begins in the colon”
"Death begins in the colon" has been credited to the Greek physician Hippocrates of Cos (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) and to Nobel prize-winning Russian biologist Elie Metchnikoff…
“You can’t eat gold (or silver)”
"You can't eat gold/silver" is a saying that dates in print to at least 1870. In 1897, a Klondike gold prospector advised a friend that "you can't eat gold dust." Many…
Detailee
A "detailee" is a government employee on assignment or loan. The White House, for example, uses many "detailees" from other government agencies. The term "detailee"…
“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?” /“A Republic, if you can keep it”
On September 17, 1787, just after the Constitutional Convention's ratification, a Mrs. Powell of Philadelphia reportedly asked Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), "Well, Doctor what have we…
Fact Finder for the Nation (Bureau of the Census moniker)
The U.S. Census Bureau (part of the Department of Commerce) published a much-reprinted booklet, Bureau of the Census: Fact Finder for the Nation (1948). Although many other government agencies and…
Bureau of Wrecklamation (Bureau of Reclamation nickname)
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (formerly the U.S. Reclamation Service) has been in charge of water management (including many dam projects) since 1902. Critics…
Stemwinder
A "stemwinder" is a rousing speech. "Stemwinder" has also meant a keyless watch and geared logging locomotive. The "stemwinder" speech has been cited in print since at…
Feminazi (feminist + Nazi)
"Feminazi"(feminist + Nazi) desscribes a radical feminist; the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary states that the term is "usually disparaging." Conservative radio talk show host…
Whackage
Barry Ritholtz's financial blog, The Big Picture, has been using the term "whackage" (whack + package/wreckage) since at least February 2006. A typical Friday blog headline is…
Foggy Bottom
Foggy Bottom is an area of Washington, D. C., known for its fog and cited in print by that name since at least 1854. In 1947, the U.S. Department of State moved to a building in Foggy Bottom. The…
Central Banks’ Central Bank (Bank for International Settlements or BIS nickname)
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), located in Basel, Switzerland, was formed in 1930 to facilitate the transfer of reparations from the World War. The BIS is not accountable to any…
Drugs and Thugs (Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs nickname)
The Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) advises the President, Secretary of State, and numerous government departments. The INL nickname…
Fudge Factory (State Department nickname)
"Fudge Factory" is a nickname of the U.S. Department of State. The term was coined by Washington (DC) Post syndicated columnist Joseph Kraft (1924-1986) in 1965-1966. "Fudge…