“Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing”
"Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing" is a quotation from billionaire investor Warren Buffett (who got rich by knowing what he's doing). The popular investment saying has…
People’s Palace (NYPL Stephen A. Schwarzman Building)
The Main Branch of the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building), opened in 1911 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. The…
Cheat Every One (Chief Executive Officer or CEO nickname)
"CEO" stands for "Chief Executive Officer." Some critics believe that CEOs are overpaid, with the critics defining "CEO" as "Cheat/Cheating/Cheats Every…
Unring the Bell (impossibility of taking back a statement or action)
The expression "(you can't) unring the bell" has been frequently used in courts of law. Once an attorney makes a statement or presents evidence, jurors can't "unring the…
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" is often credited to Seneca the Younger (4BC-65AD), but there's no evidence that he ever wrote anything like this. The first…
Dubliner (Dublin Dr Pepper cocktail)
The Dubliner cocktail was created by Haddingtons restaurant (Austin, TX) in 2011. The name "Dubliner" refers to Dublin Dr Pepper, the original recipe Dr Pepper with cane sugar, bottled in…
“Even when you make out a tax return on the level you don’t know if you are a crook or a martyr”
"Even when you make one (Income tax return—ed.) out on the level, you don’t know, when it’s through, if you are a Crook or a Martyr," wrote American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)…
“Wagner’s music is better than it sounds” (opera adage)
"The peculiar characteristic of classical music is that it is really so much better than it sounds," wrote humorist Bill Nye (1850-1896) in September 1887. In November 1889, Nye wrote in…
Federal Dumb Asses (Food and Drug Administration or FDA nickname)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for food safety, drug safety and other issues. The unflattering FDA nickname…
Always Think Forfeiture (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or ATF nickname)
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) works within the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce the law regarding the subjects in the ATF's name. The ATF seizes many…
Oh Shoot, Here Again (Occupational Safety & Health Administration or OSHA nickname)
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) was created in the Occupational Health and Safety Act signed into law on December 20, 1970, to issue and enforce standards for workplace…
Our Savior Has Arrived (Occupational Safety & Health Administration or OSHA nickname)
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) was created in the Occupational Health and Safety Act signed into law on December 20, 1970, to issue and enforce standards for workplace…
Splash Crash
The term "flash crash" began after the sudden market drop on May 6, 2010. John Bates, the chief technology officer at Progress Software (Bedford, MA), wrote on February 1, 2011 to…
“I wouldn’t vote for you if you were St. Peter!”/“If I were, you wouldn’t be in my district!”
An old political joke (cited in print from at least 1940), has a political heckler saying, "I wouldn't vote for you if you were St. Peter himself." The politician swiftly answers…
“You must have long-range goals to keep from being frustrated by short-range failures”
"You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by the short-range failures," said Charles C. Noble, the Dean of Hendricks Memorial Chapel at Syracuse University, at a…
“The upper crust is a bunch of crumbs held together by a lot of dough”
"The upper crust, metaphorically speaking, is composed of a lot of crumbs held together by dough" is cited from May 1945, when it was credited to "J. C. T." A "crumb"…
DoWiSeTrePla (Down Wind of the Sewage Treatment Plant)
The television show How I Met Your Mother, in an episode airing November 5, 2007, described a hot, very affordable New York City neighborhood nicknamed "DoWiSeTrePla." It's revealed…
New Harlem East
The neighborhood nickname "New Harlem East" was used in a Wall Street Journal article on April 22, 2011. The name describes the area of East 125th Street in Manhattan that has been newly…
“Income tax has been defined as the fine we pay for reckless thriving”
"Income tax has been defined as the fine we pay for reckless thriving" has been a popular joke since at least 1936. The line was a favorite of Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). 7 January 1936,…
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer”
Entry in progress -- B.P. [This entry was prepared with assistance from Garson O'Toole, Quote Investigator.] Google BooksMay 1878, Temple Bar: A London Magazine, "Sticks, Stocks an…