Think Regress or ThinkRegress (Think Progress nickname)
Think Progress is a blog from the progressive think tank, Center for American Progress. Critics of Think Progress have dubbed it "Think Regress" (or "ThinkRegress") since at…
Archive for 02/2011
Tedium Tatters (Media Matters nickname)
Media Matters for America is a progressive media organization that monitors the conservative media, such as Fox News and talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. Some critics of Media Matters have called it…
“The egg is to cuisine what the article is to speech”
"'The egg,' wrote a French gourmet of this century, 'is to the cuisine what the article is to speech,'" wrote Waverley Root in his book, Food: An authoritative and…
The People’s House (U.S. House of Representatives)
The United States House of Representatives have been called "the People's House" because of the direct election of representatives. Members of the United States Senate (the other…
“Gold is the money of kings; silver of gentlemen; barter of peasants; debt is the money of slaves”
“Gold is the money of kings; silver is the money of gentlemen; barter is the money of peasants; but debt is the money of slaves," wrote Norm Franz in his book Money and Wealth in the New…
“Nothing happens until somebody sells something”
Arthur H. ("Red") Motley (1900-1984) was the publisher of Parade Magazine whose famous salesmanship slogan was "Nothing happens until somebody sells something." Motley argued…
Cryboys (Dallas Cowboys nickname)
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X (January 18, 1976) and Super Bowl XIII (January 21, 1979). Pittsburgh Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope (1929-2008) noticed that…
Criminal Reserve (Federal Reserve nickname)
The Federal Reserve System has many critics, including some who want to "end the Fed." The term "Criminal Reserve" (cited in print since at least 2008) is an unflattering…
Fedspeak
"Fedspeak" (also "Fed-speak" and "Fed speak") is when the Federal Reserve says something -- especially through its chairman. Alan Greenspan was Chairman of the Federal…
“Bean soup.”/ “Yes, it’s been soup. But what is it now?” (joke)
An old bean soup joke confuses the words "bean" with "been." A customer asks "What's this?" and the waiter replies, "It's bean soup, sir." The…
“Life is too short to drink cheap wine”
"Life is too short to drink bad/cheap wine" is a saying that's been printed on T-shirts and other items that are often sold at wineries (that sell good/expensive wine). The German…
“No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best”
"No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best" has been a popular kitchen saying, written on many items (such as placemats). It is not known who first came up with…
Chairsatan (Chairman of the Federal Reserve nickname)
The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has been called the "Fed Chairman" and "Fed Chief." The blog Zero Hedge on February 3, 2011 used…
“Champagne taste on a beer budget”
Champagne has represented luxury and beer has represented a common, more-affordable drink. The term "champagne taste on a beer budget" means luxury on limited wealth. "Champagne…
“One more drink and I’d have been under the host!”
Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was known for her wit and often lunched at the Algonquin Hotel (59 West 44th Street in Manhattan), forming a "Round Table" of gossip and ideas with other…
“A waist is a terrible thing to mind”
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind" is a dieter's motto, taken from the United Negro College Fund's motto of "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" (in trademarked…
“Life is too short to stuff a mushroom”
Stuffed mushrooms is a popular hors d'oeuvre, but the dish can be somewhat time-consuming to make. "Life is too short to stuff a mushroom" was written by British novelist and…
“Sauerkraut and bacon drive all care away”
"Sourkrout and bacon will drive all cares away" is one of the proverbs in the book Proverbs of the Pennsylvania Germans (1929) by Edwin Miller Fogel. While the saying has been used by…
“A Frenchman drinks his native wine, a German drinks his beer…” (toast)
A popular drinking poem appeared in Prosit: A Book of Toasts (1904): "A Frenchman drinks his native wine,A German drinks his beer;An Englishman his 'alf and 'alf,Because it brings…
Onion Ring Tower (Towering Onion Rings)
An "onion ring tower" is a tall stack of onion rings, usually served separately on its own dish (often with a rod in the middle of the rings). The term "tower of onion rings"…