“He could sell sand in the Sahara desert” (a good salesman)
"He could sell sand in the Sahara desert" -- meaning that he can sell something to someone who has no need for it -- is an old expression to show that a person is a good salesman.…
Alphebetical for "h"
“He couldn’t find a Jew in the Bronx”
In the first half of the 20th century, many Jewish people escaped crowded Manhattan and took the newly built subway line to homes in the borough of the Bronx (often along its popular street, the…
“He couldn’t hit a bull in the butt with a banjo”
"He couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a banjo" is said about someone who's drunk, or an athlete who isn't having a good day. It's not certain if this phrase…
“He couldn’t sell watermelons with the highway patrol blocking traffic”
A January 2005 blog post credited Jim Hightower with this phrase: "[W]e are upper-crust, elite intellectual snobs who couldn’t sell watermelons if we had the Highway Patrol blocking traffic…
“He gave a fireside chat and the fire went out” (joke)
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt held radio "fireside chats" to communicate with American citizens. In September 1975, Washington Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson (1912-1983)…
“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire”
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) supposedly said of a political rival: "He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." The remark was supposedly made about either…
“He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious”
An athlete who can use both right and left hands is someone who is "ambidextrous." Something on both land and water is "amphibious." "He's amphibious" -- a…
“He is a big clog in their machine”
A "cog in the machine" is something that helps the machine run. A "clog" (a shoe) in the machine might make the machine stop running. "Clog" is a malaprop for the…
“He is a man of his most recent word”
Conservative columnist William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925-2008) said in August 1965 about President Lyndon B. Johnson: "He is a man of his most recent word." A "man of his word" is…
“He made so many of them” (Daily News Building quote)
"He made so many of them" is a quote on the Daily News Building at 220 East 42nd Street in Manhattan. The New York (NY) Daily News occupied the building from 1930 until 1995. although its…
“He may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch”
"He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch" is what a political constituency (such as a political party or a cultural group) says of its own tarnished politician. This…
“He may not be in a class by himself, but it doesn’t take long to call the roll”
Houston Oilers Coach Bum Phillips (1923-2013) said of his star running back Earl Campbell in November 1979: "Earl may not be in a class by himself, but whatever class he's in, it…
“he problem with coffee is trying to make it when you haven’t had any yet”
TwitterSarah Brodeur@sarahjbrodeurthe problem with coffee is trying to make it when you haven't had any yet8:30 AM · Aug 7, 2011·Twitter Web Client TwitterGabriela…
“He puts his pants on one leg at a time” (he’s human)
A popular sports expression is that an opposing star player "puts his pants on one leg at a time" -- that is, he's still human, like everyone else. "The Tech team Is just like…
“He said his non-alcoholic wine was delicious, I said he had no proof”
"He said his non-alcoholic wine was delicious, I said he had no proof" -- non-alcoholic wine has, literally, zero proof -- is a wine joke that was posted on The Majestic Wine Blog on…
“He said, ‘You remind me of a pepper pot.’ I said, ‘I’ll take that as a condiment’”
A top British pun (confusing "condiment" with "compliment") has been cited in print since at least 2001: "He said: 'You remind me of a pepper pot' I said:…
“He should be left back…in the changing rooms” (soccer joke)
A position in soccer (or "football") is the full-back; there are positions of centre-back, right-back and left-back. A popular joke is told about a poor player -- "He should be left…
“He speaks English with the flawless imperfection of a New Yorker”
Gilbert Millstein (1915-1999) wrote about Manhattan's famed French restaurant Lutèce (at 249 East 50th Street from 1961 to 2004) in Esquire magazine in January 1962: "He (founder Andre…
“He squeezes a nickel so tight the Indian cries” (he’s cheap)
The "Buffalo nickel" or "Indian Head nickel" is a U.S. five-cent piece with a buffalo design on one side and an Indian head design on the other; the coin was minted from 1913 to…
“He squeezes a quarter so tight the eagle screams” (he’s cheap)
Many versions of the U.S. quarter --as well as other coins -- have an eagle on one side. Someone who doesn't like to spend money is said to "squeeze a quarter so tight the eagle…