“Take the ‘A’ Train” (1941)
"Take the 'A' Train" (1941) was written by Billy Strayhorn and popularly performed by Duke Ellington. It's Harlem's popular masterpiece. Copyright restrictions prevent…
Alphebetical for "t"
“Take the masks off. Smell the bullshit”
The COIVD-19 (coronavirus) pandemic resulted in many people wearing face masks. Two similar mask sayings have been printed on many images, popularized by protest signs. "Wake-up & take…
“Take the professor, not the class” (college adage)
"Choose/Pick/Select/Take the professor, not the class" is a popular college saying. A good professor can make any subject interesting, but a bad professor can make any subject difficult…
“Take the Train to the Plane” & Airtrain
Starting about 1979, New Yorkers heard the jingle "Take the Train to the Plane" to advertise the JFK Express. It was always a train to a bus to a plane. In December 2003, the Airtrain…
“Take the W out of Waffle House and it’s just Awful House”
The Sesame Street song "The National Association Of 'W' Lovers" (1971) has the lyrics: A fine word like "waffle"Would turn out just "awful"Oh,…
“Take this job and shove it”
"Take This Job and Shove It" is a 1977 song by David Allen Coe that was popularly performed by Johnny Paycheck (1938-2003). The saying became a national popular catchphrase and spawned…
“Take to the cleaners” (financially wipe out)
To take or send someone "to the cleaners" means to wipe that person out, financially or otherwise. The saying was first used in sports and gambling. In April 1906, boxer Rufe Turner said…
“Take to the Water” (NY Waterway)
Ny Waterway operates a ferry service. Ferries used to be commonplace before our bridges, but now ferries are back, freeing Manhattan from having more cars. "Take to the water" is a slogan…
“Take your boy hunting and you won’t have to hunt for your boy”
"Take your boy hunting and you won't have to hunt for your boy" (or "It is better to take your boy hunting than to go hunting for your boy") is a saying that encourages…
“Takeoffs are optional; landings are mandatory” (aviation adage)
"Takeoffs are optional, landings are mandatory" is a well-known aviation adage. "Takeoff is optional, but landing is mandatory" has been cited in print since at least 1986, when…
“Takes the cake”
Something "takes the cake" was originally something very good (as if winning a cake as a prize), but now is used mostly in the ironic sense of something very unusual or very bad.…
“Taking a dog named Shark to the beach is a very bad idea”
"Taking a dog named Shark to the beach is a very bad idea" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "Our next dog will be named Shark. There's gonna be a riot…
“Taking a girl’s mask off is the new first base”
"First base," in sexual terms, is usually kissing. The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic encouraged "social distancing" (six feet away) and changed the bases. "Is the new…
“Taking a medication and thinking you’re healthy is like getting a loan and thinking you’re rich”
"Taking a medication and thinking you’re healthy is like getting a loan and thinking you’re rich" is a health saying that has been printed on many images. "Taking a medication…
“Taking away the punch bowl” (Federal Reserve saying)
The Federal Reserve saying of "taking away the punch bowl just when the party is getting good" means that the Federal Reserve seeks to avoid creating monetary bubbles in the economy.…
“Taking care of business” (TCB)
"Take/Taking care of business" is an old term that dates to at least the 1900s. The rock group Bachman-Turner-Overdrive (BTO) popularized the saying with their 1973 hit song,…
“Taking the first bite of a burger determines where the front of it is”
Where is the front of a hamburger? "There is no front of a hamburger until a bite is taken! #NationalBurgerDay" was posted on Twitter by Gerald on August 27, 2015. "A hamburger…
“Taking things away from people until they say yes is not a choice”
"Taking things away from people until they say yes is not a choice" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying usually refers to government persuasion to get people to…
“Taking wealth from the air” (air rights)
American engineer William J. Wilgus (1865-1949) helped design New York City's Grand Central Terminal (opened rebuilt in 1913). He designed the railroad tracks to be placed under the ground,…
“Talent is God-given, be humble; conceit is self-given, be careful”
Basketball coach John Wooden (1910-2010) wrote in They Call Me Coach (1972) and other books: "Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be…