Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
Santa Claus rewards only good girls and boys, but the Easter bunny rewards everyone. This was posted on X/Twitter by slate (the account is now private, but a Bluesky post copies it) on April 15,…
"Dese, dem and dose" for "these, them and those" is often viewed as typical uneducated language of rough people on the street. The language is often called…
A classic joke involving Euripides (a Greek tragedian of classical Athens) and Eumenides (a Greek tragedy by Aeschylus) has been cited in print since at least 1931. The joke involves a tailor and a…
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A political version is: "A Socialist, a Communist, a Liberal, and a Progressive all…
"🎉made my last car payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore" was posted on X/Twitter by Brent Terhune on October 24, 2020, and this received over 16,000 likes.…
"Hello, gorgeous!" is what a man in the 1920s might have said to an attractive woman. The saying appears in print in Ainslee's magazine in September 1926. The saying appeared in…
The name of "Twitter" (an American microblogging and social networking service) was changed to "X" in 2023, but many people still call it Twitter. "xtwitter (the x is…
Many people order a coffee that seems more like a dessert. This was posted on Facebook by Coffee on March 27, 2026: "If your coffee needs 4 pumps of syrup, whipped cream, and a drizzle……
Facebook im not right in the head.com March 27, 2026 at 3:10 PM · Shared by the abnormal Kenneth Wright (The following text is shown on an image. -- ed.) I LOOK NORMAL BUT I TALK TO DOGS LIKE…
LaffGaff Shire Horse by LaffGaff March 27, 2026 I recently bought a shire horse. My existing horse was too outgoing.
How did civilization evolve into filing taxes? This was posted on X/Twitter (and also on Bluesky and Threads) by Ꮍᴀᴇʟ on March 26, 2026, and it received over 35,000 likes: "We…
"🎉made my last car payment🎉 I still owe a lot but I’m just not paying anymore" was posted on X/Twitter by Brent Terhune on October 24, 2020, and this received over 16,000 likes.…
A hot air balloon riddle was posted on Reddit -- Dadjokes on February 27, 2024: "Q: What do you call a romantic dinner on a hot air balloon? A: An update." The joke refers to the 2009…
A classic joke involving Euripides (a Greek tragedian of classical Athens) and Eumenides (a Greek tragedy by Aeschylus) has been cited in print since at least 1931. The joke involves a tailor and a…
Coffee can give some people confidence -- maybe too much confidence. This was posted on Facebook by Coffee on March 21, 2026, and it received over 1,300 likes: "This morning I drank coffee so…
It's usually good to be in touch with reality, but real life can be depressing. This was posted on X/Twitter by Myrna Tellingheusen on March 22, 2026, and it received over 8,000 likes:…
A plate in a microwave oven might be hot, but the food might still be cold. "Dear microwave, Why is my plate so hot and my food so cold? http://dearblankpleaseblank.com for more" was…
A plate in a microwave oven might be hot, but the food might still be cold. "Dear microwave, Why is my plate so hot and my food so cold? http://dearblankpleaseblank.com for more" was…
A plate in a microwave oven might be hot, but the food might still be cold. "Dear microwave, Why is my plate so hot and my food so cold? http://dearblankpleaseblank.com for more" was…
A plate in a microwave oven might be hot, but the food might still be cold. "Dear microwave, Why is my plate so hot and my food so cold? http://dearblankpleaseblank.com for more" was…