Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Entry in progress -- B.P. “No one looks back on their life and remembers the nights they got plenty of sleep” is a related saying. WikiquotePaul Tsongas (14 February 1941 – 18 January 1997)…
"Money can't buy happiness" is a simple and seemingly timeless proverb. In the 2000s, medical researchers found the old aphorism to be scientifically true. Others argue, however,…
"If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is" was a catchphrase used by the Better Business Bureau to alert the public to shady business practices. The phrase was used since at least…
"Who died and made you (this high position)" is a common put-down of a person who usually doesn't have that high position, but who aspires to it (or a person who has that high…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TasteTaste (or, more formally, gustation) is a form of direct chemoreception and is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksHatchet Jobs and Hardball: The Oxford dictionary of American political slangBy Grant BarrettPublished by Oxford University Press US2004Pg. 80:chubbing n.…
"Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic" is a metaphor for making cosmetic changes in an ultimately failing endeavor. The phrase is used often in business, politics and sports. The…
The giant scoreboard at the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was dubbed "Godzillatron" by July 31, 2006. Texas Longhorn fans quickly criticized the many advertisements on the…
The United States liberated Iraq (an oil-rich nation led then by Saddam Hussein) in 2003. The United States president was George W. Bush, the former Republican governor of Texas. A button at the…
"The ark was built by amateurs, but professionals built the Titanic" is a popular saying meaning that the accepted wisdom isn't always accurate. The Biblical Noah built an ark and…
The new Yankee Stadium (opened in 2009) quickly gained a reputation for being home-run-friendly. The Colorado Rockies' Coors Field has allowed the most home runs in a single season, and the…
The new Yankee Stadium (opened in 2009) quickly gained a reputation for being home-run-friendly. The Colorado Rockies' Coors Field has allowed the most home runs in a single season, and the…
Citi Field is the ballpark for the New York Mets that opened in 2009. Even before it opened, fans noted Citi Field's cavernous dimensions and speculated that it might be a difficult park to…
The new Yankee Stadium (opened in 2009) quickly developed a reputation as a baseball park where it's easy to hit home runs. Nicknames for the new stadium include "Bronx bandbox" (or…
kkEntry in progress -- B.P. Merriam-Webster DictionaryMain Entry: bel·ly–up Pronunciation: \-ˈəp\ Function: adjective Etymology: from the floating position of a dead fish Date: 1939 :…
"Gelato District" is a coinage of New York magazine on June 15, 2008 for the Greenwich Village South area that features several shops that sell gelato. In 2009, Apple Core Hotels began…
"Rockefinger," "Rockefeller salute" and "Rockefeller gesture" are names for the middle finger protruding from a clenched fist -- also called "the finger,"…
"Beer belly" is one of several slang names for abdominal fat. Male beer drinkers often develop "beer barrel" bellies -- also called "beer gut." The term "beer…
"We will sell no wine before its time" was the memorable advertising line spoken by actor/director Orson Welles (1915-1985) for California's Paul Masson Vineyards in 1976. The…
"Housemade" (or "house-made") is another food industry term for the over-used "homemade." The terms "housemade" and "homemade" imply that the…