“Whatever melts your butter”
"Whatever melts your butter" means "whatever makes you happy" or "whatever's your choice/desire" or "whatever's your flavor" or "whatever…
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme”
"History repeats itself" is an old proverb. "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme" is often credited to Mark Twain (1835-1910), but there is no evidence that he…
“In the beginning, a patriot is a scarce man, hated, feared and scorned”
Mark Twain (1835-1910) is often credited with the quotation: "In the beginning a patriot is a scarce man, hated and feared and scorned. But in time when his cause succeeds, the timid join him,…
“Shut up and sing/dance/act” (entertainers taking political positions)
"Shut up and dance!" or "Shut up and sing!" has been said to many entertainers -- simple advice from a director or the audience to do what the entertainer does best.…
“A week is a long time in politics”
Entry in progress -- B.P. "Overnight is a long time in politics; a week is forever." Wikiquote: Harold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916…
“Lead, follow or get out of the way”
"Either lead, follow or get out of the way" is a favorite saying of American businessman Ted Turner. The saying is sometimes credited to Thomas Paine (1737-1809), but there is no evidence…
“Hippies use side door” (restaurant sign)
"Hippies Use Side Door" is a sign that has decorated many restaurants in the 2000s, as a piece of joke nostalgia. The Fairview Inn (Talkeetna, Alaska) actually had such a sign in the…
Grip-‘n’-grin (Grip-and-grin)
A "grip-and-grin" ("grip-'n'-grin") photo is when a politician shakes hands ("grip") with someone for a staged publicity photo. Politicians frequently…
“(Liar, liar) Pants on fire”
The St. Petersburg (FL) Times originated in 2007 a website, Politifact.com, to check political facts. Statements are judged on a "Truth-O-Meter" with grades of True, Mostly True, Half…
“Hey, hey! Ho, ho! (Person/thing) has got to go!” (protest chant)
"Hey, hey! Ho, ho! (Person/thing) has got to go!" has become a standard protest chant. In the early 1950s, it was a sports cheer, with the familiar "got to go" replaced by…
“Eating is an agricultural act”
"Eating is an agricultural act" is from Wendell Berry's essay, "The Pleasures of Eating," in his book, What Are People For? (1990). Many people aren't involved…
Nuke (to cook in a microwave oven)
A microwave oven makes some foods so hot so quickly that the microwaving has jokingly been called "nuking." The verb "nuke" meaning "to cook in a microwave oven" has…
“Kick the can (down the road)”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Kick the canKick the can (also known as Tip the can) is a children's game related to tag, hide and seek, and capture the flag which can be played outdoors,…
“Close enough for government work” (“Good enough for government work”)
"Government work" is often thought of as less efficient than private sector work, where there is no monopoly and the work must compete with others. "Close enough for government…
“Tax and spend”
'Tax and spend" comes from a 1938 statement by Works Progress Administration (WPA) Administrator Harry Hopkins (1890-1946) -- Hopkins always denied the statement -- declaring: "We…
“Socialism is the halfway house to communism”
"Socialism is the halfway house to communism" is a popular saying of disputed authorship. In the early 1930s, playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) said that fascism is the halfway…
Idiocracy (idiot + bureaucracy)
"Idiocracy" is a "bureaucracy" run by "idiots" (or "idiot" ideas). "Idiocracy" gained popularity when it was used as the title of a 2006 movie…
“It’s sick out there and getting sicker” (Bob Grant)
Talk radio host Bob Grant (1929-2013), in a long and pioneering talk show career, had shows on both WOR and WABC radio stations in New York City. "It's sick out there and getting…
“Always borrow money from a pessimist—he doesn’t expect to be paid back”
"Always borrow money from a pessimist -- he doesn't expect to be paid back" is a saying that has been printed (with slight wording variations) on T-shirts and bumper stickers. The…
Joe Citizen or John Citizen (Jane Citizen)
"Joe Citizen" or "John Citizen" (also "Jane Citizen") is a generic name for a citizen. "John Citizen" is cited in print since 1919 and "Joe…