“There’s no business like Shoah business”
"Shoah" is a Hebrew word for "Holocaust." Irving Berlin wrote the song "There's No Business Like Show Business" for the 1940s musical Annie Get Your Gun, and this…
Archive for 08/2015
Nutted Cheese Sandwich
Chock full o'Nuts coffee shops were founded by William Black (1898-1983) in 1926, when he expanded his Times Square cart into a lunch counter. One popular food item at the shops was the…
Radio Row or Electronics District (Cortlandt Street)
New York City's "Radio Row" was a collection of electronics retail and repair stores that was located on Manhattan's Cortlandt Street. City Radio opened the first store on…
Radio Row (radio area at major sporting event)
"Radio Row" is the area at a major sporting event where all of the sportsradio shows set up to broadcast interviews. "Radio row" is often located at a major hotel or conference…
“A tax can be fair or simple, but not both”
"A tax can be fair or simple, but not both" is an old tax proverb. Bernard M. (Bob) Shapiro, who was Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. Congress from 1977 to…
Pet Rock (gold nickname)
"Pet rocks" were a fad in the 1970, started by advertising executive Gary Dahl. Dahl sold the worthless rocks, along with a joke insruction booklet for handling the "pet." Gary…
“Worry is like a rocking chair—it doesn’t get you anywhere”
Entry in progress -- B.P. 13 April 1916, Glen Elder (KS) Sentinel, pg. 5, col. 5:Fretting is like a rocking chair; you do a great deal of agitating without getting anywhere. 1 May 1922, Daily News…
Planned Butcherhood (Planned Parenthood nickname)
Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. Planned Parenthood has been nicknamed "Planned Butcherhood" because of its…
Radio Row or Electronics District (Lower Manhattan)
New York City's "Radio Row" was a collection of electronics retail and repair stores that was located on Manhattan's Cortlandt Street. City Radio opened the first store on…
“You learn to read, and then you read to learn”
Entry in progress -- B.P. OCLC WorldCat recordLearning to Read-Reading to Learn.Author: FE GattingerEdition/Format: Article Article : EnglishPublication: The Canadian veterinary journal. La revue…
“A good pair of running shoes can last 400 miles” (running adage)
"A good pair of running shoes can last 400-500 miles" is a running adage of unknown origin. "Most good running shoes, however, should last for at least 500 miles (800 km) without the…
“Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers?” (joke)
"I'll stop at nothing to avoid using negative numbers" is a pun that was cited on Twitter on November 10, 2010. The joke quickly went viral. "Did you hear about the…
“I love you more than coffee, but not always before coffee”
"I love you more than coffee, but not always before coffee" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many coffee mugs. "I love you more than coffee, but not always before…
“There were two types of Jews in 1933—optimists and pessimists”
There is a grim Jewish "joke" that says that when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, there were two kinds of Jews -- optimists and pessimists. The pessimists went into exile…
“Study (verb)—The act of texting, eating and watching TV with an open textbook nearby”
The website Grouchy Rabbit published a jocular definition in March 2011 that quickly became popular with students: "Study (verb) - The act of texting, eating and watching TV with an open…
Pre-Monday (Sunday nickname)
Sunday (especially after sundown) often feels like a "pre-Monday" workday. According to many ecards, these are the days of the week: MondayMonday #2Monday #3Monday…
“I don’t mind going to work, but the 8 hour wait to go home is bullshit”
"I don't mind going to work, but the 8 hour wait to go home is bullshit" is a jocular line that has been printed on many ecards. "I don't mind going to work but that eight…
“Low man wins” (football adage)
"Low man wins" is a popular saying in football. When offensive linemen play against defensive linemen, the lineman who goes low on the other lineman is the one who has the leverage.…
Music Row (West 48th Street)
New York City's "Music Row" was a collection of music instrument stores and repair shops along Manhattan's West 48th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The stores began…