“It is not the bull side or the bear side, but the right side”
"They say there are two sides to everything. But there is only one side to the stock market; and it is not the bull side or the bear side, but the right side" appears in the book…
Archive for 07/2009
“Be right and sit tight” (“Buy right and sit tight”/“Buy right and hold tight”)
"Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon" was the wisdom of "Old Mr. Partridge" in the book Reminiscences of s Stock Operator (1923) by Edwin Lefevre. The statement…
Dallas (summary)
Are the city of Dallas and the county of Dallas named after two different people named Dallas? President James K. Polk and Vice President George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864; a former senator from…
“The best time to invest is when you have the money”
"The best time to invest is when you have the money" is a saying often credited to Sir John Templeton (1912-2008), an American-born British stock investor. "The time to invest is…
“Moving the goal posts” (“Moving the goalposts”)
"Moving the goalposts" (or "moving the goal posts") is a sports analogy, similar to "raising the bar" or "lowering the bar." If the goalposts are moved in,…
Greedy Geezer
The term "greedy geezer" (old people who demand government entitlements) was coined in The New Republic, March 28, 1988, to describe the front-cover story, "Talkin' Bout My…
Skyscraper Sandwich
Entry in progress -- B.P. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), Dagwood, garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian,…
Financial Hydrogen Bombs (derivatives)
Derivatives (such as forwards, futures, options, and swaps) can be risky financial investments. Felix Rohatyn -- the investment banker who had helped New York City to restructure its debt in the…
Donuts and Cops
Entry in progress -- B.P. > Can anyone cite a historic reference to when the police started to be => associated with donuts? Is this an invention of the 1960's?That may be, but my sense…
Joe Bag of Donuts (Joe Bag o’ Donuts)
"Joe(y) Bag a/o'/of Donuts/Doughnuts" is a name for the average citizen, similar to "Joe Sixpack." "Let some ordinary citizen -- some Joe Bag-a-donuts" was…
River City (Austin nickname)
The city of Austin has always had the Colorado River run through it. However, it wasn't until the 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man (with its "River City" based on Mason City,…
“The four most expensive words in the English language are ‘This time it’s different’”
John Templeton (1912-2008) was an American-born British investment advisor who believed in financial trends and cycles. He is credited with saying (by at least 1993): "The four most expensive…
Brush Country
The term "brush country" was popularized by Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie (1888-1964), especially in the book title, A Vaquero of the Brush Country (1929). Earlier citations of…
“My heart bleeds blue borscht”
"My heart bleeds blue borscht" ("My heart beats blue borscht" also has a few recorded citations) means that the speaker couldn't care less -- just the opposite of "my…
“Bacon makes it better” (“Bacon makes everything better”)
Bacon-mania hit in the 2000s with cookbooks, new products, and essential slogans. In 1980, the Burger Chef restaurant chain advertised: "The chicken makes it good. The bacon makes it better.…
“Like butter!” (“Like buttah!”)
Entry in progress -- B>P. Wikipedia: Coffee TalkCoffee Talk with Linda Richman was a sketch performed by Mike Myers on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. It ran from 1991-10-12 until…
Great Green Turtle of Auditorium Shores (Austin’s former Palmer Auditorium)
In 1959, the city of Austin opened its Municipal Auditorium, later renamed the Lester E. Palmer Auditorium (after Austin's mayor from 1961-1967). Its green dome roof earned the Palmer…
Crickets or Crickets Chirping (silence)
"Crickets" or "crickets chirping" means total silence from all listeners (except for the crickets chirping in the background. In the cartoon Show Biz Bugs (1957) Daffy Duck…
“I am in shape. Round is a shape.”
"I am in shape. Round is a shape!" is a saying that's popular with some out-of-shape people and has even been put on T-shirts. The origin of the phrase is unknown, cited in print…
Six Flags Over Jerry (Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington)
Cowboys Stadium (the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys football team, located in Arlington, TX) was completed in May 2009. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' stadium has been compared to…