“A full mind is an empty bat” (baseball adage)
Baseball players hitting in the batter's box often think too much, resulting in poor performance." "A full mind is an empty bat" is a saying that has been credited to baseball…
Archive for 06/2013
Veterans Abandoned (Department of Veterans Affairs or VA nickname)
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system. The derogatory VA nickname of "Veterans Abandoned" has been used by those who…
Pop-Up Bar
A "pop-up bar" is a bar that is intended to be temporary, such as one for a concert or for a sporting event (such as the Olympics). "Pop-up bar" has been cited in print since at…
Restaurant Critic
The term "restaurant critic" has been cited in print since at least 1922, when "Advice to Restaurant Critics" was published in the Hotel Monthly. New York City newspapers hired…
Food Critic
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Food criticThe terms food critic, food writer, and restaurant critic can all be used to describe a writer who analyzes food or restaurants and then publishes…
Apple-picking (theft of Apple products)
"Apple-picking" means picking apples from a tree, but "Apple-picking" (with a capital "A") refers to thefts of Apple products, such as the iPhone and iPad.…
Congross (Congress + gross)
"Congross" (Congress + gross) is an unflattering nickname of Congress. "Congross" is often taken for a one-letter typo, so it's often given as "ConGross" of…
Menuspeak
"Menuspeak" (or "menu-speak") is the language that is used on menus. Foreign terms are often used and the language is often excessively descriptive, making plain dishes more…
“Come as you are in the family car” (drive-in slogan)
"Come as you are in the family car" is slogan that was used in advertisements for drive-in movie theatres. "Come dressed as you are in the family car" was cited in a drive-in…
“Learn, Earn, Serve”
"Learn, earn, (and) serve" is a slogan that has been used by the U.S. Navy (1943), by the Women's Army Corps (1944), by the Royal Canadian Navy (1959), by 4-H (1969), and by…
“Security is our middle name” (slogan at various government agencies)
Many home and business security companies advertise that "Security is our middle name." Many federal agencies have security as a middle name, such as the Transportation Security…
Poke Test or Finger Test (rule for cooking meat)
The "poke test" (or "finger test") involves touching a food to see if it's done cooking. "Finger test" has been cited since at least 1960, when it was used to…
Black-Robed Gang (court judges)
The court dress of judges in the United States usually consists of black robes. The term "black-robed gang" refers to a court -- usually the United States Supreme Court -- and is a thinly…
Neocon Spying Agency (National Security Agency or NSA nickname)
The National Security Agency was formed in 1962 to improve foreign intelligence within the United States government. The agency was so secret (especially in its early years) that even its existence…
Lobsterrific (lobster + terrific)
"Lobsterrific" (lobster + terrific) is a superlative for describing lobster. A 1965 newspaper advertisement for Stoffer's Lobster Newburg described it as "lobsterrific." A…
Slush or Slushie or Slushy (a flavored drink with crushed ice)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Slush (beverage)A slush, sometimes known as a slushie or slushy, is a flavored frozen drink. TypesThere are a number of different kinds of slush drinks: .…
Slushify
The term "slushify" was popularized in television advertisements fpr the product Slushy Magic (trademarked from May 21, 2011). The product claimed that it will "slushify" your…
Great Shrinkage
David Bianco, Deutsche Bank's Chief U.S. Equity Strategist, was the subject of a Business Insider article on May 28, 2012, "David Bianco: The Stock Market Is Shrinking." Bianco said…
“Texas forever”
"Texas forever" has been a Texas saying about as long as there has been a Texas. "Texas Forever!!" is the title of a broadside from 1836, during the Texas Revolution. A song…
“Texas Is Calling, Your Opportunity Awaits”
Texas Governor Rick Perry (a Republican) promoted businesses to come to his state in 2013 by taking his message to blue states (Democratic), where taxes were high. Television advertising buys of $1…