“Close, but no cigar”
A cigar was traditionally one of the rewards at carnivals for winning at games of skill or chance. Coney Island offered many such games in the early 1900s. Most people did not win a prize; for…
“I couldn’t have done it without the players” (Yankees manager Casey Stengel)
New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel (1890-1975) was known for his colorful quotations given to the baseball press. After the Yankees clinched the 1958 American League pennant, Stengel remarked:…
“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor; rich is better”
"I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better." This insightful bit of personal financial wisdom has been credited to entertainer Sophie Tucker, comedian Joe E. Lewis,…
“The Chicken and the Pig” (lessons in commitment from bacon/ham and eggs)
The simple breakfast plate of ham and eggs (or bacon and eggs) has become the motivational story of "The Chicken and the Pig." Both the chicken and the pig look on at a family eating…
“Desserts” is “stressed” spelled backward
"Desserts" is "stressed" spelled backward. While this always has been the case, this headline in the Los Angeles (CA) Times food section on July 30, 1992 helped to popularize…
“Pretty please, with sugar on top”
"Please" is a nice way to ask for something. By at least the 1880s, children were begging their parents with "pretty please." “Pretty please, with sugar on it" was cited…
Wild and Woolly
"Wild and woolly" (often spelled "wild and wooly," but almost never in the reverse as "woolly and wild") often describes an animal, but was used to describe cowboys…
Wild West (Wild Wild West)
"Wild West" (often written as "wild west" and "wild West") has been a popular nickname for the far west region of America since at least 1823. The term was so common…
Liar’s Ball (Real Estate Board of NY annual banquet)
"Liar's Ball" is the nickname for the Real Estate Board of New York's annual banquet, held since the 1890s. Members of the real estate industry puff up their sales to colleagues…
Republic of Brooklyn
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has called his borough the "Republic of Brooklyn" since at least 2007, and with increasing use in 2008. Brooklyn is New York City's most…
“From soup to nuts” (from beginning to end)
'From soup to nuts" simply means everything on the bill of fare, from soup (at the beginning) to "nuts" (at the end). The Roman poet Horace (65 BC-8 BC) wrote in his Satires of…
“An apple for (the) teacher” (apple-polisher)
In the second-half of the 1800s, students (especially in rural communities) brought an apple to the teacher. The origin of this practice can't be pinned down to a specific date, but "an…
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" (or, to hedge bets a little, "An apple a day helps to keep the doctor away") has been promoted by American apple organizations since…
East Jesus (any remote town, but often associated with Texas)
"East Jesus" is a made-up name for an isolated place -- usually in America and often in Texas ("East Jesus, Texas"). "East Jesus" is cited in print from at least 1950,…
Deep Pockets (“short arms and deep pockets”)
Money (such as coins and a wallet) is often kept in the pockets on a person's garment. A "deep pocket" would be able to hold more money. Lawyers developed legal strategies to go…
“Out to lunch”
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)out to lunch: insane; stupid, unaware; socially unacceptable. N. Amer. slang. 1955 Sci. Digest Aug. 33/1 ‘Out to lunch’ refers to someone…
“If money can fix a problem, then it really isn’t a problem”
Money can't solve everything, according to at least this one proverb: "If money can fix/solve a problem, then it really isn't a problem." The issues of health and of family…
“A recession is when your neighbor loses his job; a depression is when you lose your job”
One definition of recession and depression was a favorite of presidents Harry S. Truman and Ronald Reagan. "A recession is when your neighbor loses his job; a depression is when you lose…
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikiquote: Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953); as vice president, he…
“You can’t be too rich or too thin”
"You can't be too rich or too thin" (or "A woman can never be too rich or too thin") is a popular phrase that originated in the 1960s. Women were obsessed with being thin…