“Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you”
"Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you" means the same thing as "sometimes you win and sometimes you lose." American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and…
Archive for 01/2015
“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere”
"You can play a shoestring if you're sincere" is a frequently cited quotation attributed to American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane (1926-1967), but it's not known…
“It’s a great day for a baseball game—let’s play two!”
"We got the setting -- sunshine, fresh air, the team behind us," Chicago Cubs baseball star Ernie Banks (1931-2015) said on his induction into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.…
Capitalism’s International Army (Central Intelligence Agency or CIA nickname)
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the successor to World War II’s Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Some critics claim that the CIA mainly protects business interests. The CIA has been…
Cocaine Importing Agency (Central Intelligence Agency or CIA nickname)
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the successor to World War II’s Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The CIA has long been accused of importing drugs into the United States, as depicted…
Bankism (Central Bankism)
"Central bankism" is the theory that the economy is run by the operations of a central bank (or central banks). The term was popularized by the article "Central Bankism: A New…
AINO (American In Name Only)
“RINO" (Republican In Name Only) is a popular political term that has inspired other “in name only” terms. "AINO" (American In Name Only) means someone who is an American (by…
“You can fool all the people all the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough”
"You cannot fool all of the people all of the time" is an old saying, frequently (and falsely) attributed to Abraham Lincoln. American film producer Joseph E. Levine (1905-1987) is…
“If it looks like a beer, and tastes like a beer, it must be a beer”
"If it looks like a beer, smells like a beer and tastes like a beer, then it's a beer" is an old saying that may need revising. If it doesn't contain alcohol, is it a beer? If…
The World’s Borough (Queens)
The New York City borough of Queens has a large international population; the borough hosted both the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair. In October 2014,…
“An accountant is someone who solves a problem you didn’t know you had”
"An accountant is someone who solves a problem you didn’t know you had in a way you don’t understand" is a popular accounting joke. "A genius is a guy who solves a problem you…
“Be for what is going to happen” (political rule)
"Be for what is going to happen" is a political rule of uncertain origin. The saying means that a politician should take the side of a cause that is ultimately going to win. "The old…
“The IQ of a committee is equal to the IQ of the dumbest member…”
"The IQ of a committee is equal to the IQ of the dumbest member divided by the number of people on the committee" is a quote of unknown authorship. "The I.Q. of the group is the I.Q.…
Laws of Accounting (joke)
"The Four Laws of Accounting" (credited to Anonymous) were cited in The New Official Rules: Maxims for Muddling Through to the Twenty-First Century (1989) by Paul Dickson: 1. Trial…
Can’t Pass Again (CPA backronymic nickname)
The certified public accountant (CPA) exam in notoriously difficult to pass. The CPA bakcronymic (back acronym) nicknames of "Can't Pass (it) Again" and "Couldn't Pass (it)…
Can’t Produce Anything (CPA backronymic nickname)
"Can't Produce Anything" is a popular backronym (back acronym) for "CPA" (certified public accountant), but it didn't start out representing accountants. The Coalition…
Rock Star Economy
A country is said to have a "rock star economy" (or "rockstar economy") when the economy is famously successful, like a rock star. The term "rock star economy" was…
Fast Fine (fast food/fast casual + fine dining)
The restaurant concept of "fast fine" (fast food/fast casual + fine dining) was created by restaurateur Pierre Panos, who opened his Fresh To Order (F2O) restaurant chain in 2005. F2O…
“A panda walks into a restaurant…” (joke)
"A panda walks into a restaurant" is the start of a classic joke. After the panda enjoys the meal, he shoots at the waiter and exits. The restaurant manager runs after the panda, who says…
“I just flew in and boy, are my arms tired!”
"I just flew in from (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York) and boy, are my arms tired!" is a classic joke told by American comedians. That is, the arms had been flapping like a bird's…