“Avoid fruits and nuts—you are what you eat”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), in the book Physiologie du Gout (1825), wrote "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are," often interpreted as "you are what…
Archive for 08/2013
“THINK before you text, tweet, facebook. Is it true, hurtful, illegal, necessary and kind?”
A "THINK" poster from a backronym of five words -- "Is it True, Hurtful, Illegal, Necessary, Kind?" -- was produced by the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada, to help combat…
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”
"Opportunity knocks but once" is a proverb that dates, in various forms, to the 1500s. "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door" is a jocular take on the old proverb…
“Sage on the stage or guide on the side” (teaching terms)
An old teaching saying states that a teacher can be either a "sage on the stage" or a "guide on the side." Modern technology provides many opportunities to have a "stage on…
“Monopoly is an old game because there’s a luxury tax and rich people can go to jail”
The popular Monopoly board game has players buy properties; a bad spin, however, could send a player in jail. "You can tell Monopoly is an old game because there's a luxury tax and rich…
“Women who strive to be equal to men lack ambition”
"Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition'' is a jocular saying that has been cited in print since at least 1978, when advertisements in Ms. magazine featured this saying on…
“A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent”
"A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent" is a saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as coffee cups and posters. "Morning coffee…
“Moments of silence are part of the music”
"Moments of silence are part of the music" is a saying that has been printed on several gift items. Robert Fulghum's Words I Wish I Wrote: A Collection of Writing That Inspired My…
“Poor people are crazy; rich people are eccentric”
A poor person who acts different is said to be "crazy," but a rich person who acts different is merely "eccentric" -- a small personality quirk. The book Majority of One (1957),…
“What we teach children to love and desire outweighs what we make them learn”
The Read-Aloud Handbook (seventh edition, 2013), by Jim Trelease, states: "There's an education adage that goes, 'What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what…
Fauxnut (faux + cronut/donut)
A "fauxnut" (faux + donut) is an imitation donut. Danny DeVito was required to eat donuts for his role in the film Other People's Money (1991), but he didn't eat junk food. Mani…
“Hit what you see and see what you hit” (football adage)
"Hit what you see and see what you hit" (or "see what you hit and hit what you see") is an American football adage. A player who has his head down to make a tackle often makes a…
“If defensive backs could catch, they would be wide receivers” (football adage)
"If defensive backs could catch, they would be wide receivers" is a popular football adage. The saying usually comes up when a defensive back is in perfect position for an interception,…
“Give a jackass an education and you get a smartass”
"Give a jackass an education and you get a smartass" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, hats and bumper stickers. "Give a jackass an…
“Winning is the best deodorant” (sports adage)
"Winning is the best deodorant" (or "winning is a great deodorant") means that everything smells better with winning. With losing, everything stinks. "Winning is a great…
“Underpromise and overdeliver” (business adage)
Some businesses believe that it is best to "under-promise and over-deliver." For example, a business might believe that something can be delivered on Thursday, but the company will tell…
“All you need to run is a pair of shoes” (running adage)
"All you need to run is a (good) pair of shoes/sneakers/trainers" is a popular running adage. "All you really need to run is a good pair of shoes and socks" was cited in print…
Shooter’s Sandwich
A "shooter's sandwich" is a sandwich that an Englishman takes with him while he goes hunting (shooting). A loaf of bread is hollowed out and filled with meat, cheese and vegetables.…
Pentagram (Pentagon nickname)
The Pentagon is the five-sided building in Arlington, Virginia, that is the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense; the term "Pentagon" is often used metonymically for…
“A lot of people are in debt because they spend what their friends think they make”
"A lot of people are in debt because they spend what their friends think they make" is a jocular one-line saying that has been popular on Twitter. "Some people are in debt because…