Doorbuster
A "doorbuster" (also "door-buster" or "door buster") is a sale on goods that is so low-priced that customers will wait for the store to open and seemingly break down…
Archive for 11/2012
“‘Nouvelle cuisine’ is French for ‘not enough food’”
The term "nouvelle cuisine" (French for "new cuisine") was popularized in the 1960s and was characterized by an attractive food display of small portions. "Nouvelle Cuisine…
“Any country with ‘democratic’ in the title isn’t”
"Any country with 'democratic' in the title isn't" was written by sportswriter Jim Murray (1919-1998) in the Los Angeles (CA) Times on August 3, 1980. The German Democratic…
“Bureaucracy is a method for transforming energy into solid waste”
"Bureaucracy is a method/process for converting/transforming energy into solid waste" is a bumper sticker saying that has been cited in print since at least 1981. The authorship of the…
“Gravity is what you get when you eat too much and too fast”
"Gravity is what you get when you eat too much and too fast" was included in a 1931 list titled "Boners: Being a collection of schoolboy wisdom, or knowledge as it is sometimes…
“Hamilton started the Treasury with nothing; that’s the closest our country has been to being even”
"Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing -- and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even" was credited to American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)…
“Crime does not pay…as well as politics”
"Crime does not pay...as well as politics" has been credited to Alfred E. Neuman, the fictional mascot and cover boy of Mad magazine. It's not known when this first appeared in Mad,…
“A diplomat’s life is made up of three ingredients: protocol, Geritol and alcohol”
"A diplomat's life is made up of three ingredients: protocol, Geritol and alcohol" was a popular saying of at least two statesmen in the 1950s and 1960s. (Geritol is a trademarked…
“A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers”
Newspapers often headline stories about wars and murders. "A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers" is a definition that has been cited in print since at…
“A block grant is a solid mass of money surrounded on all sides by governors”
A block grant is a sum of money that is given by the federal government to state and local governments under certain programs, such as education, healthcare and transportation. "The First Law…
“Filibuster, n.: Throwing your wait around”
A filibuster is when a legislator takes the floor and doesn't surrender it, usually in an effort to prevent a vote on a certain proposal. The legislative process must wait until the filibuster…
“Chef: Any cook who swears in French”
"Chef Any cook who swears in French" is from Cooking: A Cook's Dictionary (1985) by humorist Henry Beard and illustrator Roy McKie. The jocular definition has been frequently cited.…
“Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don’t”
"Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don't" has usually been credited to Earl Wilson (1907-1987), who wrote a New York (NY) Post syndicated entertainment…
“The quality of a champagne is judged by the amount of noise the cork makes when it is popped”
"The quality of a champagne is judged by the amount of noise the cork makes when it is popped" is a jocular statement about champagne, meaning that the experience of drinking it -- the…
“Out of my mind—back in five minutes” (office door sign)
"Out of my mind -- back in five minutes" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as posters, bumper stickers and T-shirts. It's a humorous variation of the…
“A fool and his money are soon partying”
"A fool and his money are soon parted" is a popular English proverb that dates to the 1500s. An American version is "a fool and his money are soon partying," meaning that fools…
“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket”
"The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket" is a popular saying and a response to shady financial operators who promise to "double your…
“Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was assassinated in Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, while watching the play Our American Cousin. Fletcher Knebel (1911-1993), author of the satirical column about…
“Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator”
"Thou shalt not weight more than thy refrigerator" is a saying (often associated with other "kitchen sayings") that has been cited in print since at least 1998. The saying has…
“Whiskey was invented so the Irish wouldn’t rule the world”
The word "whiskey" comes from the Gaelic word for "water." Ireland often claims to have invented whiskey, although Scotland now manufactures more of it. "Whiskey was…