“When the solution is simple, God is answering”
"If/When the solution is simple, God is answering/speaking" is a quotation that has been credited to Albert Einstein (1879-1955), a physicist who was known for finding simple solutions to…
Archive for 09/2012
TLA (three letter agency)
"TLA" is Washington, DC, federal government lingo for a "three letter agency," such as ATF, CIA, DHS, FBI, NSA, and so on. "TLA (Three Letter Agency)" has been cited…
“Stuff one’s face” (to eat greedily)
"Stuffing one's face" (also "feeding one's face" and "filling one's face") is to eat greedily. "Feed me face" was cited in print in 1887 and…
El Presidente (banana republic dictator)
"El Presidente is Spanish for "the president." The term often describes a dictator of a banana republic. The Woody Allen comedy film Bananas (1971) made references to 'El…
“If we aren’t supposed to eat animals, why are they made out of meat?”
"If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made out of meat?" is a humorous saying that has been put on T-shirts and has been included in many collections of one-line…
“The man who rolls up his sleeves seldom loses his shirt”
"The man who rolls up his sleeves seldom loses his shirt" means that someone who gets to work to tackle a problem ("rolls up his sleeves") seldom loses everything ("loses…
Body Man
A "body man" is a politician's special personal assistant. The body man might fetch coffee or make sure the politician's tie is on straight for a debate. President John F.…
“BOSS spelled backwards is double-SOB”
"BOSS spelled backwards is double-SOB" ("SOB" is "son of a bitch") is a humorous one-line saying that has been cited in print since at least 1957. Reader's Digest…
“In politics, good gets better and bad gets worse”
Haley Barbour is a Republican politician from Mississippi who served as its governor from 2004 to 2012. In 2009, Barbour told the the Republican Governors Association, “Generally, good gets…
“Make like a banana and split”
"Make like a banana and split" means "to leave" ("split" the scene) and is a pun on "banana split." The saying has been recorded in teen slang since at least…
“Always be sincere, even if you don’t mean it”
"Always be sincere, even if you don't mean it" is often credited to Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) but there's no evidence that he ever said it. The earliest citations for the…
Fedury (Federal Reserve + U.S. Department of the Treasury)
"Fedury" (Federal Reserve + U.S. Department of the Treasury) is a financial nickname that has been infrequently used (mostly by ArkansasAngie or Angie Pratt). The portmanteau name has…
People’s Beach (Jacob Riis Park)
Jacob Riis (1849-1914) was a journalist/photographer famous for his book, How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York (1890). Riis attempted to expose the plight of the poor…
QEternity (quantitative easing or QE + eternity)
Quantitative easing (QE) is when a central bank (such as the Federal Reserve) pumps money into the economy by various financial transactions, usually to increase asset prices and to create a…
“Don’t mourn—organize” (labor slogan)
"Don't mourn -- organize" is a union slogan often said after the death of a union leader. Union worker and songwriter Joe Hill (1879-1915) was sentenced to death for a crime in Utah.…
“The best way to learn is to teach”
"The best way to learn is to teach" is an old saying; a teacher who can explain a subject and answer all questions about it has effectively learned the material. "No maxim is more…
“Teamwork means never having to take all the blame yourself”
"Teamwork means never having to take all the blame (yourself)" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers and posters. The saying has…
“Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether”
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today" is a proverb that might be a thousand years old. The proverb has had many parodies. "Always put off until tomorrow what you can…
“Why do we drive on the parkway and park on the driveway?”
"Why do we drive on the parkway and park on the driveway?" is a jocular question that has been cited in print since at least 1974, when this was printed in the Washington (DC) Post on…
“Any time three New Yorkers get into a cab without an argument, a bank has just been robbed”
"Any time three/four New Yorkers get into a cab/taxi without an argument, a bank has just been robbed" is a joke showing that New Yorkers argue in the back of taxis. The joke has been…