“It’s better to sweat in the gym than to bleed in the streets”
"It’s better to sweat in the gym than to bleed in/on the street(s)" is a slogan of several inner-city gyms, in an attempt to take at-risk individuals off of crime-ridden streets. The…
Archive for 02/2013
“I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you”
"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you" is a saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, buttons and posters. The saying is especially…
Margin Stanley (Morgan Stanley nickname)
The financial firm of Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in New York City. Morgan Stanley has been nicknamed "Margin Stanley" since at least 2011, when the nickname…
Power Elite
The term "power elite" was popularized by C. Wright Mills (1916-1962), a professor of sociology at Columbia University from 1946 until his death in 1962. Wright authored the book The…
Underwater Basket Weaving (easy, nonsense college course)
"Underwater basket weaving" (or "basketweaving") is a joke college course that is known to be an easy grade and/or a worthless subject. Few colleges and universities teach…
Workout Warrior
"Workout warrior" was used in 1986 to describe an extremely dedicated health club member. The National Football League examines college prospects at its February scouting combine, in…
“Delay, deny, and hope that I die” (refrain about benefits claims)
An organization that wants to limit benefits for its workers (or retired workers) might want to delay claims for as long as possible and then deny those claims, hoping that claimants become…
Underwear Olympics (NFL scouting combine for draft prospects)
The National Football League conducts a combine to test college athletes in February, in advance of the April NFL draft of players. Athletes go through various speed and agility tests, but they…
Climastrology (climate + astrology); Climastrologer (climate + astrologer)
"Climatology" is the study of climates; a climatology scientist is called a "climatologist." People who believe that climate scientists have been driven by a political agenda…
Wall Street Urinal (Wall Street Journal nickname)
The Wall Street Journal has been a financial newspaper since its founding in 1889. Many newspapers that are called "journal" are unflatteringly nicknamed "urinal," and The Wall…
Always Late In Takeoff, Always Late In Arrival (Alitalia backronymic nickname)
Alitalia is the national airline of Italy and is named from the words ali (wings), and Italia (Italy). Alitalia has been nicknamed with the backronym (back acronym) "Always Late In Takeoff,…
“Nobody cares how bad your English is if your Scotch is good”
"Nobody cares how bad your English is if your Scotch is good" is a jocular drinking saying that has been included in several collections of humorous quotations, but it's usually not…
Fix It Again, Tony (Fiat backronymic nickname)
Fiat was founded in 1899 in Turin, Italy. "Fiat" is an acronym for "Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino." However, Fiat vehicles have been nicknamed with the backronym (back…
Fix Or Repair Daily (Ford backronymic nickname)
The Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford vehicles have been nicknamed with the backronym (back acronym) "Fix Or Repair Daily" since at least 1977. Other Ford…
Found On Road Dead (Ford backronymic nickname)
The Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford vehicles have been nicknamed with the backronym (back acronym) "Found On Road Dead" since at least 1980. Other Ford…
“Friendship is the wine of life”
"Friendship is the wine of life" (or "friends are the wine of life") is a saying that has been printed on various gift items. Shakespeare's Macbeth (1606) contained the…
“It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be”
Paul Arden (1940-2008), a former creative director for the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi, popularized a phrase with the title of his book, It's Not How Good You Are, It's How…
“Google before you tweet is the new think before you speak”
"Think before you speak" is an old proverb that has been cited in print since at least the 17th century. "Think before you tweet" is a social media proverb that has been cited…
“If you make 10,000 regulations you destroy all respect for the law”
"If you make 10,000 regulations you destroy all respect for the law" is a newly popular quotation that is credited to Winston Churchill (1874-1965). Churchill said the quotation before…
“There’s more than one way to peel an orange”
"There's more than one way to skin a cat" has been cited in print since at least 1836. The expression means that there's more than one way of doing things. "There is more…