“If you educate a woman, you educate a nation”
"If you educate a woman, you educate a family/nation" is a much-cited education adage that has been credited to many people. Catherine Esther Beecher (1800-1878), an American educator,…
Archive for 09/2012
“‘Evian’ spelled backwards is ‘naive’”
Evian is a brand of mineral water from the French Alps (near Évian-les-Bain) that was introduced to the Untied States market in 1978. Evian quickly became popular with celebrities and the rich,…
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty” (‘When injustice is law, rebellion is duty”)
"When injustice is/becomes law, resistance is/becomes duty" has been credited to such famous figures as Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Nelson Mandela, but there's no evidence that…
“Respect existence or expect resistance”
"Respect existence or expect resistance" (or "Respect my existence or expect my resistance") is a saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is unknown.…
“‘Media’ is the plural of ‘mediocre’”
New York City newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin (1930-2017) has often remarked that "'media' is the plural of 'mediocre'" (first cited by Breslin in print in 1978 or…
“Money talks, chocolate sings”
"Money talks” (meaning that money has influence) is an old financial saying, cited in print in various forms from before 1700. "Money talks" was printed in several American…
“Four food groups: fast, frozen, instant and microwavable”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture promoted, from 1956 to 1992, the "basic four" food groups. There have been many parodies on the four basic food groups. "Four food groups: Fast,…
“For every action there is an equal and opposite government program”
"To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction" is Newton's third law of motion. "For every action there is an equal and opposite government program" is a…
“A penny saved is a Congressional oversight”
"A penny saved is a penny earned" is often falsely attributed to Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), but forms of the saying date to the 1600s. "A penny saved is a Congressional…
“A politician ought to be born a foundling and remain a bachelor”
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (1912-2007) was the first lady of Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973), the 36th President of the United States (1963–1969). She so disliked the…
“Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular”
"Despite the high cost of living, it remains (very) popular" (or, "Despite the high cost of living, it remains a popular item") is a jocular statement that has been printed on…
“Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around”
""Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around"" is a 17th century saying that was repopularized in the 20th century. Francis Bacon…
“More exasperating than a wife who can cook and won’t is a wife who can’t cook and will”
A joke appeared in the Chicago (IL) Record-Herald in 1901: "There are only two kinds of cooks.""For instance?""Those who can't cook and will cook -- and those who can…
“The person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it” (success/failure proverb)
"The person who aims at nothing is sure to hit it" is similar to other sayings, such as "if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." The…
“The best throw of the dice is to throw them away” (gambling adage)
"The best throw of the dice is to throw them away" is a very old gambling adage that is still popularly cited. "The best throw upon the dice is to throw them away" was credited…
“Two choices: take it or leave it” (food menu joke)
"Today's Menu: Take it or Leave it" is a humorous saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as wall plaques and posters. The joke dates to at least 1944, when "take…
“The man who dies rich dies disgraced”
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist who was also one of the biggest philanthropists of the late 19th century. On a visit to Scotland in July 1887, Carnegie said…
Great Default
"Great Default" is a term coined and popularized by the economist Gary North, borrowing "great" from names such as the "Great Depression" and the "Great…
“Consumers are statistics; customers are people”
Stanley Marcus (1905-2002) was an executive of the Dallas (TX) luxury retail store Neiman Marcus from 1950 to 1976. Marcus's book, Quest for the Best (1979), contained "Marcus's…
“Don’t drink to drown your sorrows—sorrows know how to swim”
"Don't drink to drown your sorrows -- sorrows know how to swim" is a humorous saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters and bumper stickers. The "Ask Ann…