“Vehicle insured by Smith & Wesson” (bumper sticker)
Smith & Wesson is a firearms manufacturer. A popular bumper sticker is "This Car/Vehicle Is Insured By Smith & Wesson" -- that is, the driver carries a Smith & Wesson firearm…
Archive for 01/2013
“All the gold in Fort Knox” (a large sum of money or riches)
The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky, received its first gold shipments in 1937. The expression "all the gold in Fort Knox" (meaning riches worth an immense sum)…
“The mail must go through” (postal service adage)
"The mail must go through" is a phrase that exemplifies the hardships and successes of 19th century mail carriers, such as the pony express (1860-61). The saying was popularized by…
“A house is not a home without a dog”
"A hosue is not a home without a dog" is a saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as signs, plaques and mugs. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1968. 30…
“Room service? Send up a larger room!”
"Room service? Send up a larger room!" is a line spoken by Groucho Marx (1890-1977) in the movie Room Service (1938). The film script was written by Morrie Ryskind (1895-1985). The line…
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" is a quote that is usually attributed to Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), but there is no evidence that he ever…
“Imitation is the sincerest form of television”
"Imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery" was written by Charles Caleb Cotton in 1820. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" is a quotation that has been credited…
“That’s show business” (“That’s show biz”)
"That's show business" (also "That's show biz" or "That's showbiz") means something similar to "That's life!" -- there's bad along…
“Service is the rent we pay to live on this earth”
“Service is the rent we pay for a room on earth" was cited in print in 1917 (when it was an inscription over the doorway of a hospital in India) and is of unknown authorship. The saying is…
“Shrouds have no pockets”
"Shrouds have no pockets" means that earthly possessions can't be taken along when people die. The saying was popularly expressed in this frequently reprinted October 1858 newspaper…
“What do you call 500 lawyers on the bottom of the ocean? A good start.” (lawyer joke)
One of the most popular of all lawyer jokes is: "What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?""A good start." The joke became famous when it was spoken by actor…
Vegucate (vegan/vegetarian + educate); Vegucation
To "vegucate" someone is to educate a person about veganism/vegetarianism. "A Good Vegucation" is the title of a song that was copyrighted in 1997. Paul Dickson's 1998 book…
Livermush (Liver Mush)
Livermush (or "liver mush") is a dish that is similar to scrapple, except a pig's liver is used instead of a pig's feet. Cornmeal, sage an pepper are added, making it resemble a…
Shigging
"Shigging" is a term used in barbecue competitions and has been defined as entering another team's site with intent of stealing BBQ secrets in an effort to improve one's own…
Hodger
A "hodger" is a guest who eats most of the host's food and drinks most of the host's drinks. "Hodger" has been listed in The Online Slang Dictionary since 2002 and is…
Potemkin Journalism (Potemkin Journalist)
A "Potemkin village" is a fake one that's meant to deceive. Russian minister Grigory Potemkin is said to have built fake villages along the Dnieper River in 1787 so that Empress…
Nonstaurant (non-traditional restaurant)
The word "nonstaurant" was popularized in San Francisco in 2009. Lessley Anderson's article on the blog CHOW on May 12, 2009, "A New San Francisco Nonstaurant at Bruno’s"…
Huckdummy (Hucky Dummy)
"Huckdummy" (also "huck dummy") or "huckydummy" (also "hucky-dummy" or "hucky dummy") is a cowboy's name for baking-powder biscuits with…
Four B’s of Old West Cooking—Biscuits, Beans, Beef and Bacon
Cowboy food often starts with the letter "b" as in bacon, beans, beef, biscuits and bread. "Three B's" of army life were cited in 1916 -- beef, beans and bacon. "Four…
Overland Trout (bacon)
"Overland trout" is a cowboy slang name for "bacon." The term "overland trout" was part of a larger cowboy slang list that was printed in many newspapers in 1887.…