Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
One criticism of the media is that news covers the abnormal and not the normal. It's often said that one plane crash makes news, but a thousand planes that land safely do not make news. The…
The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966 to protect and advocate for women’s rights. Some NOW critics have claimed that the organization is anti-conservative and shills for…
Jon Stewart announced his October 30, 2010 "The Rally to Restore Sanity" on Comedy Central's The Daily Show on September 16, 2010. Stewart suggested one sign: "I disagree with…
"Happier than a bird with a french fry" is a relatively new saying. There are several prints for "Happier Than a Bird with a French Fry," such as "TODAY I WILL BE HAPPIER…
"What Would Jesus Do?" (WWJD) is a saying from the 19th century. A drink variant of "WWJD" -- "Who Wants Jack Daniel's?" ("We Want Jack Daniel's")…
"What Would Jesus Do?" (WWJD) is a saying from the 19th century. A food variant of "WWJD" -- "We Want Jelly Donuts" or "Who Wants Jelly Donuts?" -- has been…
"There's plenty of room for all God's creatures -- right next to the mashed potatoes" has been an advertisement for the Saskatoon Restaurant in Greenville, SC, since at least…
"Economists do it with models" is one of many professional "do it" jokes that have been put on T-shirts and bumper stickers. "Operations researchers do it with models"…
"Bankers do it with interest" is one of many professional "do it" jokes that have been put on T-shirts and bumper stickers. "Bankers Do It With Interest" has been…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Salami tacticsSalami tactics, also known as the salami-slice strategy, is a divide and conquer process of threats and alliances used to overcome opposition.…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Salami slicingSalami slicing is a series of many minor actions, often performed by clandestine means, that together results in a larger action that would be…
"Fraudclosure" (fraud + foreclosure) became a popular term in October 2010, when it was discovered that many banks starting the foreclosure process were doing so using fraudulent or…
The humorous definition of a banker is of a man who lends you an umbrella when the sun is shining, but who wants the umbrella back the moment it starts raining. That is, a bank will lend you money…
"Floccinaucinihilipilification" is one of the longest words in the English language. U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003), from New York, added the suffix "-ism" to…
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began in 1943 and is headquartered on Manhattan's Upper West Side (near Lincoln Center). A few critics have said that "ABC" stands for…
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) began in 1926 and is headquartered at the GE Building in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center. Critics have said that "NBC" stands for "Nothing…
NBC (the National Broadcasting Company) has been called "Nothing But Crap" by critics since at least 1989. MSNBC has also been nicknamed "Nothing But Crap," but with two more…
"Opinions are like assholes -- everybody's got one" is an expressive way of saying that everyone has an opinion. "Opinions" is often replaced with the word…
Voters are sometimes unhappy with a party's candidate choice (or both parties' choices). For the 2010 midterm elections, the energy of the "tea party" movement created an…
"Mind over matter" is a phrase that has used since the 1800s. In February 1923, newspapers published a joke variation: "mind over chatter." "Mind over chatter" was the…