Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
New York City (especially Manhattan) has often been criticized for its high taxes and high cost of living. In his first term as mayor (from 2002). Michael Bloomberg raised taxes, stating that he…
"Plan your work and work your plan" (or "Plan your work, then work your plan") was used often in church sermons from at least the 1880s. The origin of the saying is unknown. The…
"GOOB" stands for "Going Out Of Business." The acronym dates in print to at least the early 1990s. In the 1960s, many businesses in Manhattan held "Going Out of…
"Plan your trade and trade your plan" is a popular bit of investment wisdom, cited from at least the 1990s. "Plan your trade" means to prepare adequately; "trade your…
"The first loss is (always) the smallest" is an old bit of Wall Street investment wisdom. A novice trader, at first, invests little and often has a stop loss. The first loss is usually…
"Relative performance" is how some security or other investment vehicle does against an index (for example, the Dow Jones index). "Relative performance" doesn't help much…
The Wall Street Journal began in 1889 and is one of the largest circulation newspapers in America. In 1934, its slogan was: "The Newspaper for the Investor." A 1985 advertising campaign…
Once an investor has sold a stock, it's satisfying if the stock then goes down (providing evidence that the sale was at the correct time). If the stock goes up after a sale, the investor…
New York comedian Lenny Bruce (1925-1966) was known for his off-color material in the 1960s. In one routine, he explained what "Jewish" was, as opposed to "goyish" (not Jewish).…
The financial firm of Goldman Sachs had so many "alumni" in the government -- including Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. -- that an October 2008 story in the New York (NY) Times…
It's sometimes said that, in New York City, you can have a good job, a good apartment and a good companion -- but not all three at the same time. The origin of the saying is unknown. The…
Yale Hirsch (publisher of The Stock Trader's Almanac) devised the "January Barometer" in 1972, stating: "As goes January, so goes the year." If stocks are up in the month…
An old Wall Street saying has it that when everybody's getting into the market and even the shoeshine boy is giving stock tips (or the barber/hairdresser or the taxi driver or the waiter or…
An old Wall Street saying has it that the markets can handle good and bad times, but that "the stock market abhors uncertainty." The origin of the saying is unknown, but it is cited in…
American financier Bernard Baruch (1870-1965) is usually given credit for the phrase: "The main purpose of the stock market is to make fools of as many men as possible." Contemporary…
A widely cited incident involves when J. P. Morgan (1837-1913) was asked by someone what the market would do that day. "It will fluctuate, young man. It will fluctuate," Morgan reportedly…
"The crowd is always wrong" or "The public is always wrong" is a Wall Street proverb that dates to at least 1915, where it is cited in the writings of Bertie Charles Forbes…
The legendary investor Warren Buffett -- according to many websites -- gave his secret to becoming rich in a closed-door lecture at Columbia University when he was only 21 years old (that would be…
New York City is the most populous city in New York State, but Albany is the capital city. Some New Yorkers (including some from Albany) have called the capital city "Smallbany" or…
New York City is the most populous city in New York State, but Albany is the capital city. Some New Yorkers (including some from Albany) have called the capital city "Smallbany" or…