Bridgegate (George Washington Bridge lane closures)
The George Washington Bridge had lane closures in September 2013 that caused major traffic problems. The lanes weren't closed because of a traffic accident or because of construction; it was…
Archive for 01/2014
Snowplowgate or Snowgate or Plowgate
"Snowplowgate" and "snowgate" and "plowgate" are used to describe a scandal ("-gate" is from the Watergate scandal in 1970s Washington, DC) where snow is not…
Lee Harvey [lastname] (crime patsy nickname)
Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963) was the accused lone assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, although Oswald called himself a patsy and said that he never shot anyone.…
“Steel prices cause inflation like wet sidewalks cause rain”
"Prices cause inflation like wet sidewalks cause rain" was said by United States Steel Corporation CEO Roger Blough (1904-1985) in January 1966; ""Steel prices cause inflation…
FBLie (FBI + lie)
"FBLie" (FBI + lie) is a neologism used by those who believe that the Federal Bureau of Investigation often doesn't tell the truth. "FBLie" has been cited in print since at…
“Steal a little and they throw you in jail; steal a lot and they make you king”
It's an old adage that small crimes get punished, but large crimes often go unpunished (or are even rewarded). Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) wrote in the play The Emperor Jones (1920):…
Space Cake (containing cannabis)
A "space cake" contains cannabis as an ingredient. The name "space" is from the term "spaced-out." Space cakes have been popular in the Netherlands, where these cakes…
Tell-lie-vision
"Tell-lie-vision" (for "television") is a term used by those who believe that the medium -- especially the television network news -- spreads lies. "I was asked if the…
Agent Orange Corn (GE corn)
Dow Chemical manufactured "Agent Orange," a herbicide and defoliant that was widely used for clearing jungles in the Vietnam War. Dow AgroSciences attempted to introduce a genetically…
“People are hired for their talents and fired for their behavior”
"People are hired for their skills/talents and fired for their attitudes/behavior/personalities" is a popular business adage that is of unknown authorship. "People are hired for…
Stupor Bowl (stupor + Super Bowl)
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League. The first Super Bowl was held in Los Angeles, California, on January 15, 1967; the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas…
Constitutional Carry
"Constitutional Carry" refers to a citizen's right to bear arms under the Second Amendment to the United State Constitution. Some states require permits to carry a firearm (such as a…
Jew World Order (Jew + New World Order); JWO
"New World Order" (NWO) is a popular term that refers to a totalitarian one-world government. "Jew World Order" (Jew + New World Order) refers to a new world order than is run…
“A band has three years to write the first album and three weeks to write the follow-up”
The music industry has an adage that a recording artist has a whole lifetime (or 3, 5 or 10 years) to make a first album, but only a short time (months or weeks) to write the second album. Once the…
LGBTPed (LGBT + pedophile)
"LGBT" stands for "Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender" and began to be popularly used in the 1990s. "Op-Ed: We Are Under Attack by the LGBTPed Community" by Rabbi Yair…
“Wake up and smell the bagels”
"Wake up!” is an admonition for someone to get a true sense of reality. People often eat bagels in the morning; the full phrase of “Wake up and smell the bagels!” is cited in print from…
“The biggest doves in Washington wear uniforms”
"The biggest doves (in Washington, D.C.) wear uniforms" is a comment that was made by Robert M. Gates, who served in the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and…
“His shooting range starts when he enters the gym” (basketball saying)
Basketball players have shooting ranges. For a slow center, the shooting range could be just a few feet around the basket. For a shooting guard, the shooting range is much further out. "His…
Corrupticut (corrupt + Connecticut)
The nickname "Corrupticut" ((corrupt + Connecticut) began in 2003, during the political troubles of Governor John G. Rowland. The New York (NY) Times published "The Nutmeg State…
Veggie Burger
A "vegetable burger" or "veggie burger" usually describes a hamburger-type sandwich without meat. In 1954 and 1955, drive-ins offered a "vegetable burger" -- a regular…