Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began in 1979 for the purpose of responding to disasters. FEMA has had many critics, especially for its response to 2005's Hurricane Katrina. The…
"Empty calories" are calories that don't have many nutritional values (such as vitamins or minerals) and come from foods such as cakes, candy, ice cream, sodas and alcoholic drinks.…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Boll weevils (politics)Boll weevils was an American political term used in the mid- and late-20th century to describe conservative Southern Democrats. During…
A "gypsy moth Republican" is a moderate Republican from the Midwest or the Northeast (where gypsy moths cause frequent infestations). The term "gypsy moth" has been cited in…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Cost of livingCost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time are often operationalized in a…
The"shell game" consists of three shells (or cups) with a pea placed underneath one of the shells; the shells are then moved quickly, and people wager which shell contains the pea.…
"If you don't hold it, you don't own it" (or "If you can't hold it, you don't own it") is a catchphrase of the blogger Ponce, who used the tag on Gold is…
Conservative author William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925-2008) began his Firing Line television show of political interviews in 1966. When asked in 1967 why Robert F. Kennedy, a liberal, didn't…
A "country club Republican" (or "country club conservative") has also been called a "cocktail conservative" or a "hot tub" Republican. The term "country…
A "cocktail conservative" has also been called a "country club conservative/Republican" or a "hot tub" Republican. The term "cocktail conservative" describes…
Several conservative and libertarian blogs (especially Ace of Spades HQ) began, in August 2011, to call President Barack Obama a "Stuttering Clusterfuck Of A Miserable Failure" (SCOAMF or…
The "scooter pie" is similar to the older "moon pie," with both featuring marshmallow sandwiched between graham crackers and covered in chocolate. "Scooter pie"was…
The Congressional Black Caucus (founded in 1971, replacing 1969's "Democratic Select Committee") represents the black members of the United States Congress. The moniker…
Joe Albaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from February 2001 until March 2003, said this in December 2002: "Disasters don't discriminate, and neither should…
"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" has been often credited to "unknown" or to comedian George Carlin (1937-2008), but the saying was used before…
The term "gerrymander" or "gerrymandering" (after Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry and the salamander) means to reshape the electoral district lines in such a way that it…
A "Jewyorican" or "Juyorican" (Jew + Nuyorican) is a New Yorker whose heritage is part Jewish and part Puerto Rican. The term "Jewyorican" has been popularized by…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began in 1979 for the purpose of responding to disasters. FEMA has had many critics, especially for its response to 2005's Hurricane Katrina.…
A joke from the drought of the 1950s (cited in print since at least 1953 in Reader's Digest) has it that a man bet his neighbors that it would never rain again. After a few years, he was paid…
The"cowboy way" means the "cowboy's way of life." Cowboys led cattle drives in the 19th century, but the term "cowboy way" has been popular since the 1970s. The…