“Taking away the punch bowl” (Federal Reserve saying)
The Federal Reserve saying of "taking away the punch bowl just when the party is getting good" means that the Federal Reserve seeks to avoid creating monetary bubbles in the economy.…
Archive for 02/2012
Houstonite (inhabitant of Houston)
"Houstonite" is the name of an inhabitant of Houston, Texas. The name "Houstonite" has been cited in print since at least 1841. An inhabitant of Houston has more popularly been…
“Land of the free, thanks to the brave”
"O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave" is the last line of the first stanza of the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." To thank the military, the…
“Love your neighbor, but don’t tear down your fence” (proverb)
"Love thy neighbor" is in the Bible (Leviticus 19:18). "Good fences make good neighbors" is an old proverb popularized by Robert Frost (1974-1963). The proverb "Love your…
“Eat them for lunch before they eat you for dinner”
"Eat them for lunch before they eat you for dinner" has been used in Middle East politics since at least 2005. The saying means that it is better to launch a pre-emptive strike before the…
Fascist Bureau of Investigation (Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI nickname)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was founded in 1908 and conducts federal criminal and intelligence investigations. The unflattering FBI nickname of "Fascist Bureau of…
Thumbsucker (a news analysis or think piece)
A "thumbsucker" is not a reported news story, but rather is a "news analysis" or a "think piece." According to the 1980 citation (below): "When a reporter…
Widows and Orphans (newspaper terminology)
"Widows" and "orphans" are words (or short lines) at the beginning or end of a paragraph that appear at the top or the bottom of a column or page. The term "widow"…
Goat-choker (an overly long article)
A "goat-choker" is an article so long that it suffocates the reader and becomes a real challenge to finish. The length of the article is intentional; the author and the publication intend…
Biocrat (biology + bureaucrat)
"Biocracy" (biology + -cracy) was coined in 1933 by Dr. William Bradford Cannon (1871-1945) of Harvard Medical School. According to an article in the February 10, 1933 Harvard Crimson,…
“The crux of the biscuit”
In the song "Stink-foot" on the album Apostrophe ( ' ) (1974), Frank Zappa wrote: "The crux of the biscuit/ Is the Apostrophe. "The crux of the biscuit" means the same…
NASDAPPLE (NASDAQ + AAPL)
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is listed on the NASDAQ stock market. In February 2012, 90% of a daily gain on NASDAQ was from AAPL. The blog Zero Hedge renamed NASDAQ as "NASDAPPLE." Wikipedia:…
Riverside Boulevard
"All This Neighborhood Needs Is a Name" by Alison Gregor is a February 24, 2012 story in the New York (NY) Times about the residential real estate developments along Riverside Boulevard…
“Even in the warmest of hearts, there’s a cold spot for the Jews”
"In the warmest of hearts, there's a cold spot for the Jews" means that even among the kindest people, there's always seems to be some anti-Semitism. The screenwriter Ben Hecht…
“Bad companies make for good trades” (Wall Street adage)
A February 2012 financial article states that there is a stock market adage of "bad companies make for good trades." That is, a company might experience hard times and go down…
Unicorn Farts (imaginary clean energy source)
A "unicorn fart" is an imaginary and magical substance; it's often joked that the energy of the future won't be gas or coal (or even solar or wind), but unicorn farts, rainbows…
“The raised nail gets hammered down” (management proverb)
"The raised nail gets hammered down" (or "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" or "the protruding nail gets hammered down") is a Japanese proverb that dates at…
“Basketball is a game of runs”
"Basketball is a game of runs" means that there are periods when one team gets hot, but then cools off and the other team gets hot. The term "basketball is a game of spurts"…
“Having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have”
"Having more fun than a/any human being should be allowed to have" is a saying of popular conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh has used the saying since at least…
“Papers, please!” (regulations requiring identification)
Entry in progress -- B.P. OCLC WorldCat record"Your papers please": credentialing and the doctor/hospital relationship.Author: AB Cohen Edition/Format: Article : English Publication:…