One-Armed Economist (who doesn’t say “on the other hand”)
A joke is often told that U.S. President Harry Truman (1884-1972) wanted to hire a one-armed economist. Why a one-armed economist? Truman's economists kept telling him: "On the one hand…
“Stroke of the pen, law of the land” (executive orders)
U.S. President Bill Clinton was politically weakened in 1998 as a result on the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. Clinton decided to bypass Congress and issue executive orders. Clinton aide Paul Begala…
“Washington’s face was on all our money; now, Washington’s hands are on it, too”
George Washington (1732-1799) has appeared on the U.S. one-dollar bill since 1869. The joke "Time was when Washington's face was on all of our money; now it's Washington's (the…
“I don’t need you when I’m right”
"I don't need you when I'm right!" is a political saying that comes from Louisiana Governor Earl K. Long (1895-1960), although the saying has been cited in print since only 1961…
CutGo (cut-as-you-go)
Entry in progress -- B.P. PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) CBS News - Political HotsheetSeptember 30, 2010 3:27 PM Boehner Proposes "CutGo" to Counter Dems' "Pay Go"Posted by…
“An economist’s guess is liable to be as good as anybody else’s”
"Your guess is as good as mine" is an old saying meaning that neither person knows for certain about something. An economist "guesses" about the economy, but it's supposed…
“Wall Street is where people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from people who take the subway”
American investor Warren Buffett doesn't trust stockbrokers. If their advice was so great, why aren't they themselves rich? He told the Los Angeles (CA) Times in April 1991: "Wall…
“At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas”
"At my age, I don't even buy green bananas" is often credited to Florida Congressman Claude Pepper (1900-1989), but there's no documentary evidence that he said it before 1986.…
Smashed Potatoes
"Smashed potatoes" was, originally, another way of saying "mashed potatoes." The term "smashed potatoes" has been cited in print since at least 1859. The books Maine…
“Anyone who says money can’t buy happiness doesn’t know where to shop”
"Money can't buy happiness" is a proverb that has been cited in English since at least 1821. "Anyone who says money can't buy happiness doesn't know where to…
“Money can’t buy happiness; it can, however, rent it”
"Money can't buy happiness" is a proverb that has been cited in English since at least 1821. There have been many jocular additions to the proverb. A 1985 Chicago (IL) Tribune…
“We have to dance until the music stops”
Citigroup CEO Chuck Prince told the Financial Times in July 2007: “When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to…
“VIX is high, time to buy; VIX is low, time to go”
VIX (often called the "fear index" or "fear gauge") is the ticker symbol of the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index. The adage is: "When the VIX is high,…
“Generals always fight the last war” (“Economists fight the last depression”)
'Generals always fight the last war" means that military strategy often focuses on what has happened rather than what will happen. "There is a tendency in many armies to spend the…
“Fascism is capitalism plus murder”
Upton Sinclair (1878-1968), formerly a socialist, unsuccessfully ran for governor of California as a Democrat in 1934 under the End Poverty In California (EPIC) platform. Sinclair said that he…
“Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation”
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is credited with saying "Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation" (or "Corrupt politicians make…
“Rome declined because it had a Senate; what’s going to happen to us with a Senate and a House?”
"Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?" is attributed to humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935). Rogers actually…
Doughnut (zero bonus)
A donut and a bagel have been used in the sports world to represent the number "zero," for no score. The doughnut and the bagel and the number zero all have a hole. A "doughnut"…
“Spread my work ethic, not my wealth”
"Spread My Work Ethic, Not My Wealth" is a bumper sticker slogan that has been a popular tea party slogan since April 2009. The saying might be related to Democratic presidential…
Zero (financial industry worker who doesn’t receive an annual bonus)
Many employees on Wall Street expect to see annual bonuses. A December 2010 article in the New York (NY) Times reported on a new club called "the Zeros" -- people who didn't receive…