“Today is a gift—that’s why it’s called the present”
"Today is a gift -- that's why it's called the present" has been cited in print since at least 1993 and possibly originated on a Hallmark greeting card. The newspaper comic…
“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note”
Art Rust., Jr. signed off his WABC (New York City) sports talk radio show with: "Yesterday is a canceled check. Tomorrow is just a promissory note. Today is the only time we have so spend it…
Ball Orchard (Big Ball Orchard in the South Bronx = Yankee Stadium)
Hugh S. Fullerton (1873-1945) began calling baseball parks "ball orchards" in the Chicago (IL) Tribune in 1905. Yankee Stadium (located in the Bronx) first opened in 1923. By the 1930s,…
“Wake up and smell the coffee”
"Wake up!" is an admonition for someone to get a true sense of reality. People often drink coffee in the morning; the full phrase of "Wake up and smell the coffee!" has been…
Kentucky Nachos
"Kentucky nachos" is a variation of nachos. Like potachos, "Kentucky nachos" replaces tortillas chips with potato chips. Barbecued pulled pork is a featured ingredient, and blue…
“Get a $100 lock and a $50 bike” (bicycle adage)
Bicycles frequently get stolen in New York City. In a New York (NY) Times "Spokes" blog column on June 9, 2009, Sean Patrick Farrell wrote that it's "an old saying in New York…
“Raise your kids in Midland; raise hell in Odessa”
Midland and Odessa are two West Texas cities with different identities. "Raise your kids in Midland -- raise hell in Odessa" is a local saying that dates in print to at least 1982.…
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
"KISS" (also called the "KISS principle" or "KISS system") usually stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Like the harmless kiss, the KISS principle -- used in…
Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (“AIDA” of marketing)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: AIDA (marketing)AIDA is an acronym used in marketing that describes a common list of events that are very often undergone when a person is selling a product or…
“Always Be Closing” (“ABC” of selling)
"Always be closing" (the ABC's of selling) dates in print to at least 1950. The phrase was popularized by David Mamet's awarding-winning play, Glengarry Glen Ross, which opened…
“It’s never been worth zero!” (gold advertisement)
Several 2008 high profile bankruptxies (such as Lehman Brothers) and near-bankruptcies (Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch) caused a large decline in stocks. Lear Capital advertised gold investing with…
Chocolate Easter Bunny (Chocolate Easter Rabbit)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Easter BunnyThe Easter Bunny (or Easter Hare) is a character depicted as an anthropomorphic rabbit. In legend, the creature brings baskets filled with colored…
PAYGO or PAYG (pay-as-you-go)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: PAYGOPAYGO (pay-as-you-go) is a term used to refer to financing where budgetary restrictions demand paying for expenditures with funds that are made available…
“How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips are moving!”
"How can you tell when a politician is lying?" is the start of an old joke. The answer: "His lips are moving." "How can you tell when a lawyer is lying?" is the most…
Golden Rule (“He who has the gold makes the rules”)
Remember the Golden Rule (1971), by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, is the title of a collection of The Wizard of Id newspaper cartoons. In one cartoon from May 1965, the king declares:…
Golden Rule (“Do unto others before they do unto you”)
Entry in progress -- B.P. "he who has the gold makes the rules" Wikipedia: Ethic of reciprocityThe ethic of reciprocity, also known as the Golden Rule, is an ethical code that states one…
“All politics is local”
"All politics is local" is a popular political saying, most often associated with House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. (1912-1994). O'Neill used the saying in…
Double Dog Dare (Triple Dog Dare)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Dictionary of American Regional Englishdouble-dog dare v phr Also dog dare, double-black-dog dare, double-dare, double-darse dare, double-D dare, double-nigger dare,…
“You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish”
"You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish" was the title of REO Speedwagon's double platinum-selling 1978 album. The title is from an old riddle: "Question:…
“If life hands you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys/salsa/tomato sauce”
The phrase "to hand someone a lemon" (i.e., something defective) dates to at least 1906. The phrase "If life hands/deals/gives you lemons, make lemonade" (i.e., make the best of…