“You can’t spend your way to prosperity” (“You can’t borrow your way to prosperity”)
"You can't spend your way to prosperity' (or, "You can't borrow your way to prosperity") means that the federal government can't achieve prosperity by…
Archive for 02/2010
Death Star (Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington)
Dallas Cowboys football team owner Jerry Jones had long planned that his team would move into a new stadium in Arlington in 2009. The massive proposed stadium and entertainment complex was quickly…
Sovereign District (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York)
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) often handles nationally prominent cases. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York…
“To hell with the Constitution when the people want coal!”
"To hell with the Constitution when the people want coal!" was supposedly said by Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), who tried to settle the coal strike of 1902 in any way he could. Early…
Jewel of Jamaica (Rochdale Village)
Rochdale Village is a 20-building residential cooperative that opened in 1963 and was dubbed "The Jewel of Jamaica" (Queens). The nickname is still used. Wikipedia: Rochdale,…
Anti-Semitism
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: AntisemitismAntisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is prejudice against or hostility towards Jews, often rooted in hatred of their ethnic…
“Two things are important in politics: The first is money and I can’t remember the second”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Mark HannaMarcus Alonzo Hanna (September 24, 1837 – February 15, 1904), best known as Mark Hanna, was an American industrialist and Republican politician from…
“Come-to-Jesus” Meeting
"Come to Jesus" (and the "come to Jesus meeting") was an early 20th century Christian message, often spread by traveling preachers who held tent meetings. A different and later…
“What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD); “What Would Reagan Do?” (WWRD)
"What would Jesus do?" (often abbreviated "WWJD") has been in use since at least the 1820s. By 1880, "What Would Jesus Do" had become an illuminated wall motto. Book…
“Pioneers take the arrows”
"Pioneers take (all) the arrows" means that the first people to take a position (such as a political position) receive the most opposition and scorn. Eventually, the position possibly…
Hotel Goldman (Embassy Suites nickname)
The Wall Street Journal reported on March 12, 2009 that so many Goldman Sachs employees were put up in the Embassy Suites New York at Battery Park City that it was dubbed "Hotel Goldman."…
Wastewood (Westwood High School nickname)
Westwood High School in Williamson County has a good reputation for academics, but also apparently has or had a reputation for student partying. A Westwood High School site on Facebook includes:…
“From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed”
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" is a famous statement of Karl Marx (1818-1883), written in 1875. "From each according to his gullibility, to each…
“Term limits - one term in office and one term in jail”
"Term Limits For Congress; 1 Term In Office and 1 Term In Jail" is a saying on coffee mugs (and other products). The saying has existed since at least 1992 (when term limits became a…
“If you don’t stop lying about me, I’ll start telling the truth about you”
"If you don't stop lying about me, I'll start telling the truth about you" is used often in politics, usually credited to Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965) from a 1952 presidential…
War Chest
A political "war chest" is the amount of money a political candidate or a political party has raised to spend in an election ("the war"). A physical "chest" is not…
“The bull walks up the stairs and the bear jumps out the window”
"The bull walks up the stairs and thee bear jumps out the window" means that a market drops ("bear") faster than it rises ("bull"). The saying has been cited in print…
“(When you) Get a hunch, bet a bunch”
"(When you) Get a hunch, bet a bunch" has been a gambling saying since at least 1937. The saying was also adopted by the racetrack, with this ending: "Get a hunch and bet a bunch --…
Origin of “Hoosier” (Indiana nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: HoosierHoosier (pronounced /ˈhuːʒər/) is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. State of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically…
Christocrat (Christian + -ocrat)
The term "Christocrat" (Christian + -ocrat) has been used in Texas since at least 1994 and was popularized by the September 2006 profile of David Barton in Texas Monthly titled "King…