“Food, love, mother and career—the four basic guilt groups”
Cathy Guisewite drew a syndicated newspaper comic strip called Cathy from 1976-2010. Guisewite said in 1983 that the comic strip was all about the four basic "guilt groups" -- food, love,…
Archive for 10/2012
“Some people are like blisters — they don’t show up until the work is done”
"Some people are like blisters -- they don't show up until the work is done" has been cited in print since at least January 1959. The saying was printed in many newspapers in the…
“Never play leapfrog with a unicorn”
"Leapfrog" (or "leap frog") is a children's game where one player jumps over another's stooped back. The game has been played on playgrounds for hundreds of years.…
“Saving is a very fine thing, especially when your parents have done it for you”
"Saving is a very fine thing, especially when your parents have done it for you" is a jocular statement that has been credited to Winston Churchill (1874-1965) since at least 1968 and…
“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat”
"Trick or treat" is a Halloween phrase that began in the 1920s. A popular rhyming extension has been cited in print since at least 1948: "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me…
One World Government (OWG)
"One World Government" (OWG) is a term often used with "New World Order" (NWO). Anti-OWG activists believe that organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary…
Layaway
A "layaway" (or "lay-away") plan is one where a customer desires an item and puts a deposit on it, and the retailer "lays the item away" for the customer until the…
“Journalism consists in buying white paper at two cents a pound and selling it at ten cents a pound”
"Journalism consists in buying white paper at two cents a pound and selling it at ten cents a pound" is a 19th century statement meaning that good journalism is what people will pay for.…
“Baroque (adj.): when you’re out of Monet”
"Baroque (adj.): when you're out of Monet" is a jocular statement (fake French for "broke -- when you're out of money") that has been printed on many gift items, such…
“A compromise is a deal in which two people get what neither of them wanted”
"A compromise is a deal in which two people get what neither of them wanted" is a jocular statement showing that a compromise makes neither party totally happy. "A compromise is an…
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow”
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) is frequently quoted for having said: "Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it, but the tree is the real…
Poor Man’s Perrier (seltzer or club soda)
Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water from France that is sold in green bottles. Several drinks have been called the "poor man's Perrier." Seltzer has been called "poor…
New International Order
Entry in progress -- B.P. New York (NY) TimesThe chance for a new world orderBy Henry A. KissingerPublished: Monday, January 12, 2009(...)Even the most affluent countries will confront shrinking…
“Eggplant: where chickens work”
Eggplant is sometimes joked as an "egg plant" -- that is, a factory (or plant) where eggs are made. The joke has been told at least as early as the Walt Disney animated short Alice's…
Antique Media
"Antique media" was used in 1995, but was popularized in January 2006 by Thomas Lifson, a writer for and founder of the blog American Thinker. Lifson wrote " Ask any member of the…
“A smoking section in a restaurant is like a peeing section in a swimming pool”
"A smoking section in a restaurant is like a peeing section in a swimming pool" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on posters and has been cited in print since at least…
“All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”
"All You Need Is Love" is a song that was written and performed by The Beatles in 1967. "All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt" has…
“Fancy Restaurant: One that serves cold soup on purpose”
Cold soups such as gazpacho and vichyssoise are often served at expensive restaurants. "Fancy Restaurant: One that serves cold soup on purpose" is a jocular one-liner that has been…
“A vote for freedom is never wasted”
"The Vote for Freedom Is Never Wasted" was the presidential slogan of Gary Johnson, the 2012 Libertarian Party candidate. The slogan attempted to counter the belief of many that a vote…
Slave Codes (1850s)
A new explanation for the "Big Apple," first proposed in the 2000s, claims that the nickname arose from pre-Civil War slave codes used in the underground railroad (a network of secret…