POTUS (President Of The United States)
"POTUS" is an acronym for "President Of The United States." The shorter "POT" stood for "President of the" in the book The Phillips Telegraphic Code (1879)…
SCOTUS (Supreme Court Of The United States)
"SCROTUS" is an acronym for the "Supreme Court Of The United States." The term was used by 19th century telegraphers and appears in the book The Phillips Telegraphic Code (1879)…
SCROTUS (Supreme Court Republicans Of The United States)
"SCOTUS" is an acronym for the "Supreme Court Of The United States." An extra letter"R" is often added, making it "SCROTUS," similar to the word…
Hollow Prize
The concept of minority mayors winning a "hollow prize" comes from the study, Black Control of Central Cities: The Hollow Prize (1969), by H. Paul Friesema. When a minority finally rises…
Politics of Respectability
The term "politics of respectability" is credited to a chapter title in Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham's book, Righteous Discontent: The women's movement in the Black Baptist…
Politics of Personal Destruction
During Bill Clinton's successful campaign for the U.S. presidency in 1992, questions about his character began to emerge. Reports of extra-marital affairs with Gennifer Flowers and of dodging…
Politics of Grievance
The "politics of grievance" means telling a political group that they've been wronged (this can be real or can play to prejudices) and that electing a particular politician will…
“You’re either a contrarian or a victim”
Global Resource Investments founder Rick Rule maintains a "contrarian or victim" philosophy -- one is either a contrarian or a victim. That is, one either invests with the masses and…
Dracula Effect
On the July 28, 2011 edition of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show (Melissa Harris-Perry, guest host), NBC political correspondent Luke Russert explained what Washington, DC called the…
Carrot-Raisin Salad
"Carrot-raisin salad" is a simple salad of shredded carrots and raisins, with mayonnaise or salad dressing. The origin of the salad is unknown, but the name has been cited in print since…
“As sure as God made little green apples”
"As sure as God made little green apples" means extremely sure. The ssaying "as sure as God made apples" has been cited in print since at least 1828, "the good Lord made…
“Is that a banana in your pants or are you just happy to see me?”
"Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?" is credited to the actress Mae West (1892-1980), but the saying was not in her movies, such as the frequently (and…
“As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party”
"As welcome/popular as a skunk at a lawn party/garden party/picnic" means not very welcome or popular at all. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1898, when the novel David…
Phyz or Phyzz (physical asset)
A "physical" asset means possesion of the actual thing, not a paper promise for it. "Physical" gold or silver means having actual gold or silver, not paper certificates for it.…
Resluglican or Reslug (Republican + slug)
"Resluglican" or "Reslug" (Republican + slug) is an unflattering nickname for Republicans, comparing them to slugs (lazy "sluggards" or the gastropods). The nickname…
America’s National Credit Card
The debt problems of the United States have frequently been compared to the credit card problems of average Americans. References have been made to America's "national credit card"…
Barbarous Relic (gold nickname)
The economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) wrote in his book, A Tract on Monetary Reform (1923): "In truth, the gold standard is already a barbarous relic." The term "barbarous…
Greatest Depression
The period from 1929 until the end of the 1930s has been termed the"Great Depression," but some have also called it the "Greatest Depression." The modern term of "Greatest…
“Own your age in bonds”
"Own/Invest your age in bonds" is a popular rule of thumb for investing. For example, a 20-year-old should have 20% in bonds and 80% in equities, but a 50-year-old should have 50% in…
“The dice have no memory”
"The dice have no memory" means that, while the dice usually follow the odds, the dice don't always do so. For example, there might be a roll of double sixes; another roll of double…