Mother Merrill (Merrill Lynch nickname)
The Merrill Lynch brokerage firm was affectionately called "Mother Merrill" by its employees. "Mother" Merrill Lynch trained its brokers and treated them well, frowning on any…
Archive for 01/2009
Alexander/Gin Alexander/Brandy Alexander/Coffee Alexander (cocktail)
New York columnist Walter Winchell explained the origin of the Alexander cocktail in his column on March 21, 1929. Rector's (a famous New York eatery before Prohibition) was having a dinner…
Baking Powder
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia; Baking powderBaking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used in cooking, mainly baking. It is most often found in quick breads like pancakes, waffles, and…
Baking Soda
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Sodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is…
Cracker Jack (Crackerjack)
Cracker Jack is the famous product with, as the jingle has it, "candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize." Coated popcorn (with sugar and/or molasses) is cited from at least 1888.…
“A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money”
“A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money” This phrase about government expenditures has become a classic, but who said it first, and when? Everett Dirksen…
“No good deed goes unpunished (in Washington)”
"No good deed goes unpunished" is a humorous reverse of the classical "No good deed goes unrewarded. No bad deed goes unpunished." Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987) is often…
“In the red” (loss) & “In the black” (profit); Red Ink & Black Ink
"In the red" means that a business entity is experiencing losses; "in the black" means profits or gains. Accounting ledgers used red ink and black ink for accounting entries.…
Soup-and-Fish (a dinner suit)
"Soup and fish" was a traditional first course in the formal dinners of the 19th century. "Soup and fish" (also "soup-and-fish") also became a nickname for a…
“Beer before wine, you’ll feel fine; Wine before beer, you’ll feel queer”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksSeptember 1897, The Home Furnishing Review, pg. 367, col. 1:The free translation (from German -- ed.) of still another is: Beer on wine,Nit!Wine on beer,It!!…
“Beer before liquor, never sicker; Liquor before beer, never fear”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksCase Studies in Health CommunicationBy Eileen Berlin RayNew York, NY: Routledge1993Pg. 169:In this regard they used stock sayings that many seemed to know,…
Sazerac (cocktail)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Sazerac (cocktail)The Sazerac is one of the oldest known cocktails, with its origins in pre-Civil War New Orleans, Louisiana. The original drink is based on a…
“As American as apple pie”
"As American as apple pie" is a popular phrase today, even though apple pies came from Europe and the pies aren't as popular in America as they once were. Although "apple…
“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy”
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" is one of the most famous of modern drinking quips. But who said it first? The musician Tom Waits said the line on…
“The show must go on” (show business adage)
"The show must go on" originally meant for the circus or a theatrical performance, despite all difficulties, the show must be performed as scheduled. The expression soon applied to any…
“Close, but no cigar”
A cigar was traditionally one of the rewards at carnivals for winning at games of skill or chance. Coney Island offered many such games in the early 1900s. Most people did not win a prize; for…
“I couldn’t have done it without the players” (Yankees manager Casey Stengel)
New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel (1890-1975) was known for his colorful quotations given to the baseball press. After the Yankees clinched the 1958 American League pennant, Stengel remarked:…
“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor; rich is better”
"I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better." This insightful bit of personal financial wisdom has been credited to entertainer Sophie Tucker, comedian Joe E. Lewis,…
“The Chicken and the Pig” (lessons in commitment from bacon/ham and eggs)
The simple breakfast plate of ham and eggs (or bacon and eggs) has become the motivational story of "The Chicken and the Pig." Both the chicken and the pig look on at a family eating…
“Desserts” is “stressed” spelled backward
"Desserts" is "stressed" spelled backward. While this always has been the case, this headline in the Los Angeles (CA) Times food section on July 30, 1992 helped to popularize…