Six Phases of a Project (“Enthusiasm, disillusionment, panic…”)
The "six phases of a project" have been jocularly described as: 1. Enthusiasm,2. Disillusionment,3. Panic,4. Search for the guilty,5. Punishment of the innocent, and6. Praise and honor…
Nosebleed Seat (Nosebleed Section; Nosebleeder)
A "nosebleed seat" ("nosebleeder") in a "nosebleed section" is a seat in an auditorium, theatre, arena or stadium that is so far away from the action being viewed,…
Venture Socialism
Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) talked about President Obama's jobs bill on Fox News’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on September 14, 2011: “I would love to be able to work with the…
“The masses are asses”
Entry in progress -- B.P. “Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the ‘M’ is silent” is a related saying. Wikipedia: The Masses Are AssesThe Masses Are Asses can refer to: . A…
Puzzle Palace (Pentagon, National Security Agency nickname)
The Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, is a five-sided building in Arlington County, Virginia that opened in 1943. The Pentagon nickname of "Puzzle Palace…
Fort Fumble (Pentagon nickname)
The Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, is a five-sided building in Arlington County, Virginia that opened in 1943. The Pentagon has been nicknamed "Fort…
“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…