“We’re doomed—doomed, I tell you!”
"We're doomed -- doomed, I tell you!" is a clichéd line that might be told about a financial panic by a financial Dr. Doom. Joseph Conrad's 1904 novel, Nostromo, contained the…
Archive for 08/2012
Nabe (a neighborhood)
Entry in progress -- B.P. [This entry includes the research of Ben Zimmer that was posted on the American Dialect Society list.] (Oxford English Dictionary)nabe, n. and adj.Etymology: Representing…
Silver, Wine, Art and Gold (SWAG backronym)
"Silver, Wine, Art and Gold" form the backronym (back-acronym) for the word "swag." SWAG (2011), a book by Joe Roseman, both coined and popularized the term. Roseman argues that…
“A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman’s birthday but never remembers her age”
"A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age" (or "...but forgets her age") is a jocular saying that has been cited in print…
“The backup quarterback is the most popular player on a (losing) team”
"The backup quarterback is the most popular player on a (losing) team" (or "the backup quarterback is the most popular guy in town") is a popular football saying. When a team is…
“Seconds count— especially when dieting”
"Seconds count -- especially when (you're) dieting" is a pun upon the word “seconds” (meaning “second helpings” or “second servings"). The jocular saying has been…
“Forbidden fruit creates many jams”
"Forbidden fruit" refers to the biblical story of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. "Forbidden fruit creates many jams" has been a roadside…
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst because they are sticking to their diet”
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" is from the New Testament, Matthew 5:6. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they…
“Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookie of life”
"Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookie of life" (or, "In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips") is a saying that has been printed on several gift items.…
“The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson’s time”
The story of Samson is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, Book of Judges chapters 13 to 16. God gave Samson supernatural strength and he slew the Philistines with only the jawbone of an ass.…
“No bees, no honey; no work, no money”
"No bees, no honey" (Neque mel, neque apes) is a Latin phrase that means that, according to Erasmus (1466-1536), "every convenience hath its concomitant inconvenience." A…
“No one ever drowned in sweat”
"No one ever drowned in sweat" is a popular sports/exercise/work saying that has usually been attributed since the 1980s to college football coach Lou Holtz (born in 1937), but Holtz…
“The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching”
"The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching" is a quotation about success that has been included in many quotation collections. "Our idea of the average…
“The statesman shears the sheep, the politician skins them”
"The statesman shears the sheep, the politician skins them" is from Austin O'Malley's book, Keystones of Thought (1914). O'Malley's thought has been included in many…
“Beer is now cheaper than gas—drink, don’t drive”
"Beer is now cheaper than gas -- drink, don't drive" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers. According to a 2008…
“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” (sports adage)
Many athletes go to great lengths to get any edge they can against their competition; this often includes taking performance-enhacing drugs. "If you're not cheating, you're not…
“Don’t drink and drive—you might hit a bump and spill your drink”
"Don't drink and drive -- you might hit a bump and spill your drink" is a jocular saying that has been printed on gift items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers and posters. The…
“Bureaucrats cut red tape—lengthwise”
"Bureaucrats cut red tape -- lengthwise" (that is, in the least efficient way) is a joke that was printed on bumper stickers in the 1980s. The joke has been cited in print since at least…
“It’s all about the rings” (winning championships over money)
Professional athletes often accept less money to be on successful teams, where playoff money is likely and there is a good chance of winning a championship. A championship team usually awards its…
“It’s 110 degrees, but it’s a dry heat” (Texas heat joke)
In Arizona, Texas and other parts of the west, the temperature often averages over 100 degrees during the summer. "But it's a dry heat!" is the clichéd response that some natives…