Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Reader's Digest published this quotation in 1937: "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts — for support rather than for illumination (Andrew Lang)." It has long been…
Snowshoeing is easier to learn than skiing. The old and popular saying, "If you can walk, you can showshoe," has been cited in print since 1922. (Oxford English Dictionary)snow-shoe v.…
"Global warming" or "climate change" has its supporters, but also has those who think it's bunk. The derogatory nickname "climatard" (climate + retard) has been…
The moniker "Witch of Wall Street" is usually associated with Hetty Green (1834-1916), who was one of the world's richest women during his lifetime. Many stories were written about…
The Associated Press (AP) is a news agency founded in 1846 and headquartered in New York City. The derogatory nickname "Associated Propaganda" has been cited in print since at least…
In October 2011, a California atheist group put up a billboard with the following anti-Christian saying attributed to founding father Thomas Jefferson: "I do not find in Christianity one…
"Professional homeless" seems like an oxymoron. Who is "professionally" without a profession and a home? The term "professional homeless" has been cited in print since…
The Fox News Channel has had many liberal critics who claim that it doesn't fully respect minorities and foreigners. The Fox News nickname of "Full Of Xenophobia" (or "Full Of…
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has long used "pat downs" to check potential air travelers for weapons. In August 2011 at Boston's Logan Interational Airport, the…
"Pharmageddon" (pharmaceutical + Armageddon) has had two different meanings. "Pharmageddon" was used by those critical of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). A book by…
"Spox" is a popular headline shorthand for "spokesperson." The term "spox" was used in 1996 and then frequently in 2006 in the context of Israeli government…
Gold has frequently been called the "anti-dollar." When the dollar is worth less, the price of gold (in dollars) increases. The "anti-dollar" nickname for gold became popular by…
To "make a killing" means to make a large (and usually quick) profit. "Make a killing" has been cited in print since at least 1887, when it was used in horseracing. The saying…
"Make a living, not a killing" has been cited in print since at least 1959 and has appeared on signs in the 2011 "Occupy Wall Street" protests. The saying plays upon the slang…
"Television is called a medium because it is neither rare nor well done" is a classic joke about early television. "Definition 'Television: A new medium—rare, if well…
The Occupy Wall Street movement began on September 17, 2011 with protests at New York City's Zuccotti Park. Other cities throughout the world began their own "Occupy" movements. The…
Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs (1955-2011) delivered an emotional and personal commencement address at Stanford University in 2005: "When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like:…
The "slow food" movement (the opposite of "fast food") was founded in Italy in 1986. The movement encourages regional cuisines and locally grown food. The saying "slow food…
"Store what you eat and eat what you store" is a popular adage of storing survival foods. The foods stored should be what a person likes to eat, and the foods should be eaten before they…
The British actress Mrs, Patrick Campbell (1865-1940) is supposed to have said about an actor or about the playwright Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), "I really don't mind what people do, so long…