“Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky”
"Ambition is putting a ladder against the sky" has been frequently cited as an American proverb and infrequently cited as an African-American proverb. The saying means that an ambitious…
Archive for 08/2013
“Eat on the run, forget about sleep, and change horses often”
"There's no time to rest when there's work to be done. Eat on the run, forget about sleep, and change horses often" is sometimes described as a Texas proverb or an old-time…
“Don’t worry about biting off more than you can chew—you have a big mouth”
"Don't worry about biting off more than you can chew. Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger 'n you think" is sometimes described as a Texas proverb or an old-time cowboy…
“57 channels and nothing on” (television saying)
American singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen wrote the song "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" (1992), describing the lack of worthwhile programs on cable television. "500 channels…
“Everyone reads the false report and no one reads the correction”
"As the journalism adage goes, everyone reads the false report and no one reads the correction" was cited in print in July 2013. Newspapers, when they do publish corrections, usually…
“A gold mine is a hole in the ground with a liar on top”
"A gold mine is a hole in the ground with a liar standing on top of it" is a quotation of credited to Mark Twain, the pen name of author Samuel Langhorne Clemons (1835-1910). There is no…
“The two most important things about money are, to make it first, then make it last”
"The two most important things about money are, to make it first, then make it last" is a popular saying about money. "For, having to make it first, they had to make it last"…
“Restaurants where they wait on you hand and foot charge you an arm and a leg”
Something that "costs an arm and a leg" is something that is expensive. A place that caters to customers "hand and foot" is a place that satisfies all of its customers'…
“No one needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one”
American author Elbert Hubbard (1855-1915) wrote in 1904: "Usually no man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one." Hubbard wrote again in The Cosmpolitan in February…
Dry Bar (alcohol-free bar)
A "dry bar" is a bar that does not serve alcoholic drinks -- the opposite of a "wet bar." Liverpool's Brink opened in 2011 and was the first modern dry bar in Britain.…
“Bureaucracy is the art of making the possible impossible”
"Politics is the art of the possible" ("Die Politik ist die Lehre vom Möglichen") is an 1867 quotation that has been credited to German statesman Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).…
“Does comedy on television cause comedy in the streets?”
One argument about television is that it features too much sex and violence, and that this causes those problems on the streets. Television talk show host Dick Cavett was asked about violence on…
Golden Arches (McDonald’s nickname)
McDonald's fast found restaurants are known for the "golden arches" -- the yellow arches that decorated its early restaurants and the two yellow arches in the McDonald's letter…
“Disability is not inability” (“Disability does not mean inability”)
"Disability is not inability" (or "disability does not mean inability") is a popular saying about people with disabilities. "Disability does not mean inability" was…
“All money is both ‘hard’ and ‘easy’—hard to get and easy to spend”
"All money is both 'hard' and 'easy' -- hard to get and easy to spend" is a popular saying about money. "It (money -- ed.) is hard to get, and easy to spend"…
“Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount”
Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987), an American author and ambassador, addressed an IBM Golden Circle conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 28, 1978: "Above all, he is courageous. Courage is the…
“Gossip always travels fastest over grapevines that are slightly sour”
"Gossip always travels fastest over grapevines that are slightly sour" is a popular modern statement about gossip. The saying appeared as "Today's Chuckle" in many…
“A reckless driver is one who passes you, in spite of all you can do”
"A reckless driver is one who passes you, in spite of all you can do" is a jocular one-line saying that has been cited in print since January 1924. The saying was printed in a syndicated…
“Some people battle their way to the top, while others bottle their way to the bottom”
"Some people battle their way to the top, while others bottle their way to the bottom" is a drinking saying that has been frequently reprinted. "Some men battle their way to the top,…
“Vacations are easy to plan — your boss tells you when, and your wife tells you where”
"Vacations are easy to plan — your boss tells you when, and your wife tells you where" is an old office joke. "VACATION: A period which your boss tells you when to take and your…