Cryboys (Dallas Cowboys nickname)
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X (January 18, 1976) and Super Bowl XIII (January 21, 1979). Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope (1929-2008) noticed that…
Criminal Reserve (Federal Reserve nickname)
The Federal Reserve System has many critics, including some who want to "end the Fed." The term "Criminal Reserve" (cited in print since at least 2008) is an unflattering…
Fedspeak
"Fedspeak" (also "Fed-speak" and "Fed speak") is when the Federal Reserve says something -- especially through its chairman. Alan Greenspan was Chairman of the Federal…
“Bean soup.”/ “Yes, it’s been soup. But what is it now?” (joke)
An old bean soup joke confuses the words "bean" with "been." A customer asks "What's this?" and the waiter replies, "It's bean soup, sir." The…
“Life is too short to drink cheap wine”
"Life is too short to drink bad/cheap wine" is a saying that's been printed on T-shirts and other items that are often sold at wineries (that sell good/expensive wine). The German…
“No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best”
"No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best" has been a popular kitchen saying, written on many items (such as placemats). It is not known who first came up with…
Chairsatan (Chairman of the Federal Reserve nickname)
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has been called the "Fed Chairman" and "Fed Chief." The blog Zero Hedge on February 3, 2011 used…
“Champagne taste on a beer budget”
Champagne has represented luxury and beer has represented a common, more-affordable drink. The term "champagne taste on a beer budget" means luxury on limited wealth. "Champagne…
“One more drink and I’d have been under the host!”
Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was known for her wit and often lunched at the Algonquin Hotel (59 West 44th Street in Manhattan), forming a "Round Table" of gossip and ideas with other…
“A waist is a terrible thing to mind”
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind" is a dieter's motto, taken from the United Negro College Fund's motto of "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" (in trademarked…
“Life is too short to stuff a mushroom”
Stuffed mushrooms is a popular hors d'oeuvre, but the dish can be somewhat time-consuming to make. "Life is too short to stuff a mushroom" was written by British novelist and…
“Sauerkraut and bacon drive all care away”
"Sourkrout and bacon will drive all cares away" is one of the proverbs in the book Proverbs of the Pennsylvania Germans (1929) by Edwin Miller Fogel. While the saying has been used by…
“A Frenchman drinks his native wine, a German drinks his beer…” (toast)
A popular drinking poem appeared in Prosit: A Book of Toasts (1904): "A Frenchman drinks his native wine,A German drinks his beer;An Englishman his 'alf and 'alf,Because it brings…
Onion Ring Tower (Towering Onion Rings)
An "onion ring tower" is a tall stack of onion rings, usually served separately on its own dish (often with a rod in the middle of the rings). The term "tower of onion rings"…
“I eat my peas with honey; I’ve done it all my life…” (poem)
A frequently reprinted poem (attributed to "Anonymous") about food is: "I eat my peas with honey; I've done it all my life. It makes the peas taste funny, But it keeps them on…
“In a financial crisis, all correlations go to one”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksHandbook of Heavy Tailed Distributions in FinanceBy Svetlozar T. Rachev Amsterdam: Elsevier2003Pg. 70:Tail dependenceThere is a saying in finance that in times…
Greater Fool Theory
The "Greater Fool Theory" applies to a mania, such as for internet stocks (in the 1990s) or for real estate (in the 1970s). The investing fundamentals of holding that asset might be poor,…
The Great Place (Fort Hood nickname)
The military base of Fort Hood, outside of Killeen, has been called "The Great Place" since at least 1987, when a book was published titled Fort Hood, Texas: the great place. A local sign…
“If you torture the data long enough, it will confess”
"If you torture the data long enough, it will confess" has come to mean that if you manipulate the data long enough, you'll finish the the result you want. Some people has asserted…
“Never bet on a possibility against a certainty”
"Never bet against a certainty" or "never bet against a sure thing" has long been common wisdom. But what about having good odds on a possibility? "Never bet on a…