“Invest in what you know best” (Wall Street adage)
Investment adviser and author Peter Lynch is credited with the 1990s Wall Street adage "Invest in what you know." The phrase issometimes made to rhyme at the beginning and at the end:…
Archive for 10/2008
“Don’t get married to a stock” (Wall Street adage)
Some investors stay loyal to a stock long after the stock's performance has slipped. A common bit of investment advice (cited in print from at least the 1950s) is to "never fall in love…
“Buy low, sell high” (Wall Street proverb)
"Buy low and sell high" is a sure way to make money. The exact origin of the saying is unknown, but the concept is simple enough. The "buy low" (or, "buy at a low…
“Buy on the rumor, sell on the news” (Wall Street proverb)
"Buy on the rumor, sell on the news" is a Wall Street proverb that dates at least to the 1950s. A slight variation -- "Buy on the rumor, sell on the fact" -- is cited in print…
“When in doubt, get out” or “When in doubt, stay out” (Wall Street adage)
"When in doubt, get out" or "When in doubt, stay out" (also "If in doubt, get out" or "If in doubt, stay out") is an old stock market saying that dates at…
“The market is always here” (Wall Street phrase)
"The market is always here" is a Wall Street phrase that dates back to at least 1891; it was possibly coined by financier Russell Sage (1816-1906). The phrase means that, in good times or…
“Buy the dips, sell the rips” (Wall Street adage)
"Buy low, sell high" is an old Wall Street maxim on how to make money. This often means to "buy on the dips" (or "buy on dips" or "buy the dips," meaning to…
“Economic Pearl Harbor” (Wall Street crisis phrase)
Investor Warren Buffett called the financial crisis of 2008 an "economic Pearl Harbor" on CNBC's Squawk Box on September 24, 2008, and again on PBS's Charlie Rose Show on…
“Thank God for Mississippi” (“Thank Heaven for Mississippi”)
The state of Mississippi is often ranked last among all states in educational and in poverty scores. Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and other states breathe a sigh of relief for not being last,…
“Never sell a dull market (short)” (Wall Street proverb)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Jay GouldJason "Jay" Gould (May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American financier who became a leading American railroad developer and…
“Don’t fight the tape” (Wall Street proverb)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Free Dictionarydon't fight the tapeA market axiom that asserts an investor shouldn't buy stocks during a major decline or sell stocks during a strong market…
“The tape tells the story” (Wall Street proverb)
Wall Street used to receive stock quotations from ticker tape, roughly from 1867-1960s. The expression "The tape tells the story" is cited in print from at least 1896. The once-popular…
“Don’t confuse brains with a bull market” (Wall Street adage)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksThe Wheeler Dealers By Adam SmithNew York, NY: Bantam Books1969, ©1959Pg. 176:Son, when the market is goin' up everybody looks smart. Never confuse…
“A rolling loan gathers no loss” (banking adage)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: A rolling stone gathers no mossA rolling stone gathers no moss is a proverb. HistoryIt is often credited to the Sententiae of Publilius Syrus, and roughly…
“The trend is your friend” (Wall Street proverb)
Entry is progress -- B.P. 18 July 1983, American Banker:At the Geldermann Group, the sage advice was not to fight the markets. "The trend is your friend," analysts there advised their…
“Buy to the roar of cannon and sell to the sound of trumpets” (Wall Street adage)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksPaper MoneyBy Adam SmithPublished by Summit Books1981Pg. 286:"Buy on the cannons, sell on the trumpets." New York (NY) TimesMarket Place; For Warner,…
“When the economic tide goes out, you find out who is swimming naked” (Warren Buffett?)
"When the economic tide goes out, you find out who is swimming naked" is a colorful quotation that's often attributed to investor Warren Buffett. Buffett did use the phrase by at…
“Investigate, then invest” (Wall Street saying)
"Investigate, then invest" was the slogan of Merill Lynch in the 1940s. Investors were cautioned to look closely before moving their money, to help ward against fraud and high risk. Many…
“No tree grows to the sky” (Wall Street adage)
"No tree grows to the sky" (or, "No tree grows to heaven") is an old Wall Street saying meaning that a bull market (good business times) cannot continue forever. The saying…
Crap Sandwich
A "crap sandwich" is something unpalatable that, for some reason or other, is being served up. The term became famous on September 28, 2008, when Congressman John Boehner (R-Ohio) called…