Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"No price is too high for a bull or too low for a bear" means that nothing can be too good for the optimist or too bad for the pessimist. The stock market proverb was cited in the London…
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) favored free enterprise and smaller government. During Reagan's successful 1980 campaign for president of the United States, he said: "I happen to think that the…
"Austex" (or "AusTex" or "Aus-Tex") is a name formed from "Austin" and 'Texas." Walker's Austex Chile Company existed in Austin from the 1910s…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Merriam-Webster Online DictionaryMain Entry: snake·bit Pronunciation: \-ˌbit\Variant(s): or snake·bit·ten \-ˌbi-tən\Function: adjective Date: 1957: having or…
National health care ("government-run health care") became a popular political topic in the early 1990s ("Hillarycare," after First Lady Hillary Clinton) and in 2009…
A diner at a restaurant complains that the coffee tastes like mud. The waiter remarks: "It should be! It was ground this morning!" This well-known coffee joke (a pun on the noun and the…
A Jewish joke involves a diner (named Frieda or Freda or Miriam or Ethel or Izzy) who complains about a restaurant's food. "I've tasted fresher fish," the diner says. "Not…
Lucky J's "chicken and waffles" trailer opened in Austin, Texas, in the spring of 2009. The slogan: "Chicken for the Strength...Waffles for the Speed." Lucky J's…
Entry in progress -- B.P. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), Dagwood, garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, jawbreaker,…
A "steakery" is an "eatery" that serves "steak." The term "steakery" dates to at least 1932. The franchise Charley's Grilled Subs was originally called…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: CafeteriaA cafeteria or caféteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no table service, whether a restaurant or within an…
The first "Blimpie Base" (later just "Blimpie") sandwich shop opened in Hoboken, New Jersey, on April 4, 1964. The shop quickly franchised, especially in the New York City-area,…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Common beanWhite beansThe small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is particularly popular in Britain and the US, featured in such dishes as…
"Who are your Milk Carton Politicians?" asked the political website Hot Air on August 16, 2009 -- a reference to the milk carton photos of missing children. New York City experienced the…
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) was an Italian political leader who briefly lived on Staten Island. The 'Garibaldi Sandwich," however, is from Paisan's restaurant in Madison,…
The "waiter's-thumb-in-the-soup" joke dates to at least 1883. The central joke is that hot soup can burn the waiter's thumb (while the customer is more concerned about the…
"A long term investment is a short term investment that failed" means that something went wrong and it will take the trader/investor longer to get his/her money back. This is semingly a…
"Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon? Great food but no atmosphere!" The "restaurant on the moon" joke appears to date from the early 1970s, just after NASA's…
Q: Why did the lobster blush? A: Because he saw the salad dressing! "Lobster blush" jokes date to at least 1876; "the lobster blushed because he saw the salad dressing" jokes…
"Never check stock prices on Friday -- it could spoil the weekend" is a simple piece of advice. Stock markets are usually closed on Saturday and Sunday. Some people prefer to check stocks…