Hispandering (Hispanic + pandering)
"Hispandering" (Hispanic + pandering) occurs when a someone (such as a politician) panders to a Spanish-speaking constituency. The politician might produce election literature half in…
Archive for 04/2012
“Old bankers never die—they just lose interest”
"Old soldiers never die -- they just fade away” is an old saying that was popularized by General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in his farewell address to Congress on April 19, 1951. Many…
“Tragedy is when I cut my finger; comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die”
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger; comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die" is a popular line from Brooklyn-born comedian/actor/director/screenwriter Mel Brooks. Tragedy is even…
“Q: How do journalists count? A: One, two, trend.” (joke)
A popular journalism joke is, "Q: How do journalists count? A: One, two, trend." The joke implies that all it takes is three examples for a journalist to declare a "trend" and…
“What do you get when you play a country song backwards?”
A joke about country music (cited in print since at least 1991) illustrates the sadness of much of the lyrics. "What do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your job back,…
“The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury” (Washington?)
"The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury" has been a popular quotation on many websites since the financial crisis of 2008. The quotation is usually attributed to…
Hide-and-Speak (electronic constituent communications)
"Hide-and-speak" (a pun on "hide-and-seek") is when a government official speaks to his or her constituents without a live and personal confrontation, such as what happens at a…
Veep (vice president or VP)
"Veep" is the nickname of the vice president, from the initials V.P. The word "veep" was influenced by the 1940s popularity of the word "jeep," often said to have been…
VIP (Very Important Person)
The initials "VIP" stand for "very important person/personage/people." The "VIP" definitions of "very important personage" and "very important…
“Bacon is meat candy”
"Bacon is meat candy" is a saying that has been printed on many T-shirts. Rocco Loosbrock of BaconFreak.com trademarked the saying with a date of first use of March 1, 2007; the trademark…
“If winning isn’t important, why keep score?”
"It doesn't matter if you win or lose, but how you played the game" is a paraphrase of the poem "Alumnus Football" (1908) by the sportswriter Grantland Rice (1880-1954).…
“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice”
"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice" has been a business saying since at least 1950, when it was cited in June 1950 from a Georgia newspaper and in…
“I can please only one person per day; today is not your day; tomorrow’s not looking good either”
A popular office saying is "I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow's not looking good, either." The saying is often attributed to the Dilbert comic…
Moron.org or MorOn.org (MoveOn.org nickname)
MoveOn.org is a progressive public policy advocacy group that was formed in 1998. Opponents of its policies have nicknamed the group "Moron.org" or "MorOn.org." The nickname…
Media Mutters (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. Media Matters was organized in 2004 as a…
“If a train station is where a train stops, then what’s a workstation?” (joke)
"A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station." This joke (a work station is where work stops?) has been cited in print…
Axe (bad financial asset)
Greg Smith, an executive director of Goldman Sachs. wrote the Op-Ed "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs" in the March 14, 2012 New York (NY) Times, stating in part: "What are three quick…
“Call me butter because I’m on a roll”
"Call me/him/us butter because I'm/he's/we're on a roll" is a saying cited in print since at least 1999. The pun is for "on a roll" meaning both "on a…
“I’m not fat—just short for my weight”
Height and weight charts have led to the jocular excuse that one has the right weight, but just has the wrong height. The American humorist Sam Levenson (1911-1980) said in 1952, "But I'm…
“I’m not overweight—I’m undertall”
"I'm not overweight, I'm just undertall" is a jocular dieting excuse, printed on gift items such as T-shirts. The saying was popularized by the Garfield syndicated newspaper…