“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts”
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts" has been a favorite saying of U.S. President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), baseball coach Earl Weaver (1930-) and basketball…
“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of an enemy”
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929- 1968) gave the sermon "Loving Your Enemies" in Ebenezer Baptist Church on Sunday morning, August 12, 1962: "The process of returning hate for hate only…
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do" is what UCLA basketball coach John Wooden (1810-2010) said in his book, They Call Me Coach (1972). It's not known when…
Extremely Pathetic Agency (Environmental Protection Agency or EPA nickname)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed in 1970 to protect human health and the environment. Some critics have claimed that the EPA regulates too little during Republican…
Deather (death announcement skeptic)
The term "deather" (death + -er) is similar to the related terms "birther" (a person skeptical about another person's birth information) and "truther" (a person…
Scarf (to eat)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)scarf, vU.S. slang var. scoff v.2 1. Also absol. and const. up and down.1960 R. G. Reisner Jazz Titans 164 Scarf, eat.1968 C. Armstrong Balloon…
“Lick the plate clean” (eat all of a dish)
To "lick the plate" means to eat every bit of a dish, either because of hunger or because of the deliciousness of the dish. The expression dates back to at least 1639 and the rhyme of…
Inside Baseball
The term "inside baseball" originated in baseball of the 1890s, meaning strategic and scientific baseball involving smart coaching and teamwork. "Inside baseball" became such a…
Red Diamond (goji berry nickname)
Goji berries (also called wolfberries) have long been popular in China, but were almost unknown in the United States before 2002. The commercially promoted health qualities of goji juice helped to…
Briet (bridal diet)
The word "briet" (for "bridal diet") was popularized just before the April 29, 2011 wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine "Kate" Middleton. The…
Freshman Five or Freshman Ten or Freshman Fifteen (college weight gain)
College freshmen often gain weight with many dining hall choices and available snacks during late-night study hours. The term "freshman five" (or "freshman 5") for the number of…
Cocoanista (cocoa + fashionista)
"Cocoanista" (cocoa/chocolatier + fashionista) was coined in 2011 by Jacqueline Jacek, owner of JACEK Chocolate Couture in Sherwood Park (outside Edmonton). The term is a more descriptive…
Racer (race + -er)
The term "racer" (race + -er) follows such terms as "truther," "tenther" and "birther." Radio host Tony Katz coined "racer" in April 2011 to…
“The worst lead in hockey is a two-goal lead”
A two-goal lead has been called the most dangerous lead in ice hockey. The team with the lead often relaxes and lets the other team back into the game with just one goal. Does the team with the…
“It never rains on a golf course”
"It never rains on a/the golf course" is an old golfers' saying. meaning that it's always a fine day to play golf. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1943 and is…
Boobeoisie or Booboisie (boob + bourgeoisie)
The writer and critic H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) coined the term "booboisie" (boob + bourgeosie) in the Baltimore (MD) Evening Sun on February 15, 1922. Mencken meant to describe a middle…
Money Making Manhattan (Money Makin’ Manhattan)
"Money Making Manhattan" or Money Makin' Manhattan" (or just "Money Makin'" or "Money-Makin'") has been a rap nickname for Manhattan (or just…
“A nation that cannot control its borders can’t control its destiny”
U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) is often credited for having said at some time in the 1980s, "A nation that cannot control its borders isn't really a nation." Reagain said…
“The penalty for not participating in politics is to be governed by your inferiors”
The philosopher Plato (428/427 BC – 348/347 BC) wrote this, from the English translation of Republic 347c: "That is perhaps why to seek office oneself and not await compulsion is thought…
“He can jump out of the gym” (cliché said of athletic NBA, NFL draft prospect)
The NBA and NFL drafts are often held in New York City. A draft prospect is sometimes said to be "strong as a bull/ox" (very strong) or someone who can "run like a deer" (very…