“Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class”
"Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class" is credited to Brooklyn-born gangster Al Capone (1899-1947). The quotation has been cited in print since 2002, but there is no…
Archive for 12/2010
“The easiest way to make money is to stop losing it”
Entry in progress -- B.P. 8 March 1896, Syracuse (NY) Standard, pg. 7, col. 3:The easiest way to make money is by saving it.(Butler & Johnson -- ed.) 4 September 1896, Daily Kennebec Journal…
“People vote their resentment, not their appreciation”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: William B. MunroWilliam Bennett Munro (1875 – 1957) was a Canadian social scientist and eugenicist. 14 November 1923, Oregonian (Portland, OR), "Outlook…
Jacobs Beach (West 49th Street and Eighth Avenue)
"Jacobs Beach" (or "Jacobs' Beach") was named after Mike Jacobs (1880-1953), New York City's leading boxing promoter from the mid-1930s until he retired in 1946.…
“What Would Julia Do?” (WWJD)
“What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) is a saying from the 19th century, repopularized in 1989 with "WWJD" bracelets. A food variant of “WWJD”—“What Would Julia (Child)…
“Nothing is impossible to the man who doesn’t have to do it himself”
"Nothing is impossible to the man who doesn't have to do it himself" was called "The Bureaucrat's Law" in 1979. For a bureaucrat who can foist the work on someone…
“Many people spend money they haven’t earned…to impress people they don’t like”
"Too many people spend money they haven't earned for things they don't need to impress people they don't like" is a classic statement of how some people spend money in…
“Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines”
"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines" is a humorous quotation used in government and business. The saying means that there are dangers in climbing up the…
Foodgasm (food + orgasm)
A "foodgasm" (food + orgasm) is the ecstasy experienced from eating food -- or, in some case, from merely looking at food or thinking about food. The term "foodgasm" has been…
“Never sell on strike news” (Wall Street adage)
"Never sell on strike news" (or "Don't sell on strike news") is one of Wall Street's oldest adages. A strike often fails or is settled quickly; panic selling on strike…
Barefoot Pilgrim
A "barefoot pilgrim" was, originally, an unsophisticated car buyer -- someone who buys a car at the advertised sticker price and pays too much. This meaning of "barefoot…
“Never invest in anything that eats or needs repainting”
"Never invest in anything that eats or needs (re)painting" is a caution against investing in horses and houses. New York theatrical showman Billy Rose (1899-1966) was cited in February…
“Locks are for honest people” (proverb)
"Locks are for honest men/people" is an old proverb in security departments. Burglars ("dishonest people") can break locks; the locks give the impression of security to keep…
“A closed mouth gathers no feet”
A politician can't suffer from "foot-in-mouth disease" (a gaffe) if he or she doesn't talk (have an "open mouth"). The proverb "a closed mouth gathers no…
“When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls” (Wall Street adage)
"When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls" is a Wall Street saying, meaning that when stocks start to strongly fall or to strongly rise, the market takes all the stocks in…
Bottomless Cup
A "bottomless cup" of coffee means that the establishment offers free refills of coffee. The coffee cup has a bottom, of course. The term "bottomless cup" dates to at least 1934…
“Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria”
Stock investor John Templeton (1912-2008) is credited with giving this investment wisdom in February 1994: "Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die…
Wazzitoyuh (“What’s it to you?”)
The Work Progress Administration's 1938 Almanac for New Yorkers contained a page about New York City speech: "Wazzitooyuh? Delicate rebuff to an excessively curious questioner." The…
“There are only two kinds of music—good music and bad music”
"There are only two kinds of music -- good (music) and bad (music)" is a saying associated with Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) -- two composers who died in New…
“Never trust a fat dietitian”
"Never trust a fat dietitian" (sometimes misspelled "dietician") is a humorous saying often credited to "anonymous." A dietitian who can't lose weight seemingly…