“Screw up, move up”
"Screw up, move up" is a bureaucratic joke, cited in print since at least 1981 (then referring to the U.S. Army). The opposite is supposed to be true, where a person moves up because of…
Archive for 04/2011
“Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?”/“At the bottom.”
It's one of the oldest jokes told about American political history: Teacher -- Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?Student -- At the bottom (of the page). The joke has been cited…
“Why did the apple turnover?”/“Because it saw the banana split.”
Popular food riddles (also word riddles) involve the apple turnover and the banana split. These jokes have been repeated over many years on the children's sections of newspapers and magazines.…
Hot Sauce Blue Cheese or Hot Sauce Bleu Cheese (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
Holy Shit my Bank’s Chinese (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
Holy Shit Buffalo’s Cold (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
United Bank of Swindlers or Union Bank of Swindlers (UBS nickname)
UBS (originally the Union Bank of Switzerland) is one of the world's largest banks and has several branches in Manhattan. Barry Ritholtz's blog, The Big Picture, on August 20, 2009,…
Signing Statement
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Signing statementA signing statement is a written pronouncement issued by the President of the United States upon the signing of a bill into law. They are…
“Drinking the Kool-Aid”
"Drinking the Kool-Aid" means to follow a leader or a philosophy without critical examination. Kool-Aid is a flavored drink mix that was invented in 1927. "Drinking the…
“Keep your government hands off my Medicare!”
"Keep your government hands off my Medicare!" was selected by Yale Book of Quotations editor Fred Shapiro to be 2009's top quotation. Medicare is a government-run program. The…
Goldman Sucks or Goldman Sux (Goldman Sachs nickname)
Goldman Sachs is a financial firm that's headquartered at 200 West Street in Manhattan. The unflattering nickname of "Goldman Sucks" (or "Goldman Sux") has been cited in…
“Eat the rich”
"Eat the rich" was a slogan of the counterculture Zippies that became popular at the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida. The slogan promotes a redistribution of…
Banoconut (banana + coconut) Cream Pie
The website Chow.com published a "Banoconut Cream Pie Recipe" on June 26, 2009 and featured the pie in a 2011 photo gallery of "Comfort Foods We Love." The word…
“Trade what you see, not what you think”
"Trade what you see, not what you think/believe" has been cited in print since at least 1999 and has been credited to trading educator Joe Ross. The adage means to trade on what the…
K-Fart or Kfart (Kmart nickname)
Kmart, a retail chain store, was founded in 1899 in Detroit, Michigan. There are five Kmart stores in New York City (two in Manhattan, two in the Bronx and one in Queens). Kmart's nickname of…
Wal-Fart or Walfart (Walmart nickname)
Walmart is a chain retail store that was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Walmart has been nicknamed "Wal-Fart" (also "Wal Fart," "WalFart" and "Walfart")…
Home Cheapo (Home Depot nickname)
Home Depot is a home improvement/construction chain store that began at Marietta, Georgia, in 1978. The nickname "Home Cheapo" has been cited in print since at least 1994 and has been…
Office Cheapo (Office Depot nickname)
Office Depot is an office products and services retailer that began in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, in 1986. The nickname "Office Cheapo" has been cited in print since at least 1997. Office…
“Inch by inch, it’s a cinch; yard by yard, it’s hard; mile by mile, it’s a trial”
"Inch by inch, life's/it's a cinch" is a saying cited in print since at least the 1950s. Often added is "yard by yard, life's/it's hard," also cited in print…
Budget Axe (Budget Ax)
A budget is often cut by, metaphorically, "axing" workers and expenses. The budget axe (or "ax") has been cited in print since at least 1911. Budget cutting since 1960 has often…