“Flush twice—Houston needs the water” (Dallas saying)
Wasterwater from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex flows downstream 250 miles in the Trinity River and into Lake Livingston, where the city of Houston gets its water. "Flush twice/often --…
Archive for 08/2012
“Hope is a lousy hedge” (“Hope is a poor hedge”)
"Hope is a bad/crappy/lousy/poor/shitty hedge" means that one shouldn't rely on hope. A similar phrase is "hope is not a strategy." Erik R. Sirri, a director of the…
Scampaign (scam + campaign)
A "scampaign" (scam + campaign) is a campaign -- a political campaign or a campaign for a specific cause or business -- that contains fraud and can be called a "scam."…
“You can’t fax a handshake”
"You can't fax a handshake" is a business expression that means there is no substitute for face-to-face contact with a client. "You can't fax a handshake" was a slogan…
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize” (Voltaire?)
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize. -- Voltaire" suddenly became the subject of "Quote of the Day" on several websites in 2012, even…
“The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does”
"The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does" is a jocular saying about retirement that has been included in many quotation collections. The saying…
“Retired: Goodbye tension! Hello pension!”
"Retired: Goodbye tension! Hello pension!" is a popular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, hats, buttons and posters. The saying has been printed on…
“A child’s greatest period of growth is the month after you’ve purchased new school clothes”
"A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you've purchased new school clothes" is a jocular statement that has been included in several lists of one-liners. The…
“I don’t eat snails—I prefer fast food”
Sports Illustrated recorded a quote in its September 23, 1985 issue by San Francisco Giants third base coach Rocky Bridges. Bridges was asked why he refused to eat snails and he replied, "I…
“Summer vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid”
"Summer vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid" is a one-line saying that has been printed on many images. "Summer vacation - a time when parents…
“Teach a man to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day”
PROVERB: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." ANTI-PROVERB: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to…
Spailout (Spain/Spanish + bailout)
Spain requested a financial bailout from the Eurozone in 2012. CNBC popularized the name "Spailout" (Spain/Spanish + bailout) in news articles on June 10th and 11th, 2012. Twitter use of…
Press Gaggle
The term "a gaggle of reporters and camera men" has been cited in print in 1935 and "a gaggle of journalists" has been cited in print in 1971. The "gaggle" of press…
“Confidence is the feeling you have before you fully understand the situation”
"Confidence is the feeling you have before you fully understand the situation" is a popular saying in business and finance that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters and…
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence”
Brooklyn-born Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) took over as head football coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1959. According to Packers quarterback Bart Starr, Lombardi said in his first speech before the…
“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails” (proverb)
"We/I can't direct the wind, but we/I can adjust our/my/the sails" is a proverb that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters. American country music singer Jimmy Dean…
Info Babe or Infobabe (woman in television news broadcasting)
An "info babe" (or "info-babe" or "infobabe") is a woman who works on screen in a visual news medium, such as television broadcasting. The television networks CNN, Fox…
Tex-Mex Addict or Mex Addict (cuisine enthusiast)
Taco Cabana aired 2012 commercials with its spokesperson wearing a "Mex addict" T-shirt. A "Tex-Mex addict" (or "Mex addict") is someone who crazes Tex-Mex cuisine.…
“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will believe that it is stupid”
A popular quote, attributed to German-born physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955), is: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole…
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work”
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it's dressed in overalls and looks like (hard) work" is a quotation usually credited to American inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931), but…