“The rent is too damn high!” (political party slogan and name)
Jimmy McMillan formed his "Rent Is Too Damn High" party in 1993, but he failed to get on the ballot that year to run for New York City mayor. McMillan did get on the ballot in 2005 and…
Archive for 03/2011
“Where Weird Meets Western” (Rodeo Austin slogan)
"Keep Austin Weird" has been a popular slogan of the city of Austin (TX) in the 2000s. Rodeo Austin has used the slogan "Where Weird Meets Western" since at least March 2010.…
ICE (Income, Credit and Equity)
"ICE" is an acronym for "income, credit and equity" -- three things that banks look for before issuing a mortgage or a loan. "ICE" has been cited in print since at…
“Cooking is an art, baking is a science”
"Cooking is an art, baking is a science" has been cited in print since at least 1967 and is said to have originated in a King Arthur Flour catalogue. Cooking can be a form of art, with a…
Paul and Paulette Revere (names for patriots)
Paul Revere (1735-1818) was the patriot in the American Revolution who made the famous "midnight ride" on the night of April 18–19, 1775, just hours before the battles of Lexington and…
“I’d rather be fishing”
"I'd rather be fishing" is a saying that has been on many items, such as bumper stickers, license plate holders, T-shirts and hats. The "I'd Rather Be Fishing" bumper…
National Pubic Radio (NPR or National Public Radio nickname)
NPR (formerly National Public Radio) is funded, in part, with taxpayer dollars. Conservative groups have often cited that NPR has a pro-liberal bias. Some critics have nicknamed NPR “National…
“Gratitude is for favors yet to be received”
“Gratitude is for favors yet to be received" is "Rule 35" by Henry Stern, the founder of NYCivic. Stern said that the quote is from Robert F. Wagner (1877-1953), the United States…
Static Island (static + Staten Island)
Staten Island has several nicknames, such as the "forgotten borough" and "Staten Italy." The nickname "Static Island" was used in a radio magazine in 1941.…
Youthquake or Youth Quake (youth + earthquake)
"Youthquake" (also spelled "youth quake") was defined in the September 1965 Ebony magazine: "They champion what is known as 'Youthquake,' which means super, boss,…
“If you don’t hit the reader between the eyes in your first sentence, there’s no need to write more”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Arthur BrisbaneArthur Brisbane (December 12, 1864 – December 25, 1936) was one of the best known American newspaper editors of the 20th century. Born in…
“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark…”
A popular statement about newspaper advertising was credited to an Illinois editor in November 1870: "Trying to do business without advertising is like winking in the dark; you know that you…
Crashiversary (crash + anniversary)
"Crashiversary" (crash + anniversary) is the anniversary of a crash. The word "crashiversary" was used in 2003 and in 2007 for the anniversaries of motorcycle and car crashes.…
Crapitalism (crap + capitalism); Crapitalist (crap + capitalist)
"Crapitalism" (crap + capitalism) is a criticism that capitalism is crap; a capitalist becomes a "crapitalist." The word "crapitalism" has been cited in print since at…
Bwanker (banker + wanker)
"Bwanker" (banker + wanker) is, like the word "wanker," more popular in the United Kingdom than in the United States. A "bwanker" is a banker who is a wanker (or…
“When school districts start firing assistant football coaches, that’s a lean budget”
Texas State Senator Dan Patrick said in February 2011, “As the old saying goes, when I start seeing districts firing assistant football coaches, then I’ll really know that they’ll have a lean…
Associated Depressed (Associated Press nickname)
The Associated Press (AP) is a news agency founded in 1846 and headquartered in New York City. The nickname "Associated Depressed" has been popularized by conservative radio talk show…
Disassociated Press (Associated Press nickname)
The Associated Press (AP) is a news agency founded in 1846 and headquartered in New York City. The nickname "Disassociated Press" appeared in the Bugs Bunny short film What's Up,…
CODESTINK or Code Stink (CODEPINK or Code Pink nickname)
CODEPINK (frequently spelled Code Pink) is an anti-war group -- mostly, but not exclusively, women -- that was formed in 2002. Critics of CODEPINK's often aggressive tactics and politically…
Media Doesn’t Matter (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…