“Start every day with a smile and get it over with”
"Start every day with a smile" became a common saying by the 1930s. "Start every day with a smile and get it over with" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on…
Archive for /P27600
“Three great inventions: fire, the wheel and central banking”
American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) is often credited with the jocular saying: "There have been three great inventions since the beginning of time: fire, the wheel, and central…
Panic City
The term "panic city" refers to the demand for some immediate action to end a bad situation. "Panic city" has been cited in print since the 1970s. New York Mets general manager…
“Who says a good newspaper has to be dull?” (NY Herald Tribune slogan)
"Who says a good newspaper has to be dull?" was the famous 1960s ad campaign for the New York (NY) Herald Tribune that attempted to take readership from the rival New York (NY) Times.…
“No one has stolen my lunch at work since I started labeling it ‘Stool Sample’”
One way to stop a co-worker from taking your lunch out of the refrigerator is to label the bag "stool sample," as one joke has it. "Someone stole @whaleysh's lunch. Sorry bud.…
“Lettuce turnip the beet”
"Lettuce turnip the beet" (let us turn up the beat) is a jocular line that has been printed on many images. "I’m a musical vegetarian. I always ask my girl to lettuce, turnip, the…
“Eat the rainbow” (“Taste the rainbow”)
Skittles (fruit-flavored sweets) advertised "Taste the Rainbow" in U.S. newspapers in 1988. The saying is trademarked. "Eat the rainbow" is a culinary expression that has been…
Fun City Bowl
"Fun City" is a New York City nickname that originated with Mayor John Lindsay (1921-2000) on his first week in office in January 1966. The nickname was satirically used and quickly lost…
Rabbit Town (Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village)
The first building of Manhattan's Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village residential complex opened in 1947. The buildings became so attractive to new families that the development was nicknamed…
“If I had my life to live over, I’d live over a saloon”
American actor Lew Parker (1910-1972) was credited in 1951 with the line: "If I had my life to live over, I'd live over a saloon." The jocular line has been usually credited since…
“Hard to find four innocent people in New York”
American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) wrote in January 1923: "Another innocent bystander was shot in New York yesterday. You just stand around this town long and be innocent and…
“Why don’t football players wear glasses?”/“Because it’s a contact sport.”
A joke about "contact" sports is: Q: Why don't football players wear glasses?A: Because it's a contact sport. "It seems wrong to wear glasses in a contact sport" was…
CNN Effect
CNN (Cable Network News) provided live coverage of the 1991 Gulf War, including Operation Desert Storm (17 January 1991 – 28 February 1991). Many Americans watched CNN for the latest…
“A lawyer prevents somebody else from getting your money”
"A lawyer is a man who prevents anyone else from getting your money" is a jocular saying about lawyers that has been cited in print since at least 1955. The Chicago (IL)
“A lawyer helps you get what’s coming to him”
"A lawyer helps you get what’s coming to him" is a jocular saying of unknown authorship that has been cited in print since at least December 1948. American composer and comedian Oscar…
“Why experiment on animals with so many lawyers out there?”
"Why experiment on animals when there are so many lawyers out there?" is a jocular saying about lawyers. "Why experiment on animals with so many lawyers out there" was cited in…
“What do hillbillies drink out of?”/“Hiccups.”
A joke about hillbillies/rednecks ("hicks") is: Q: What do hillbillies drink out of?A: Hiccups (hick cups). The pun was cited on Twitter on October 8, 2014. A similar "hiccup"…
“I got a bottle of scotch for my wife…” (joke)
New York-based comedian Henny Youngman (1906-1998) did a liquor commercial in 1972: “I got a case of Hoffman’s for my wife...that’s not a bad trade.” The line has had many variations.…
“What’s a vampire’s favorite ice cream?”/“Veinilla.”
A popular children's Halloween pun is: Q: What's a vampire's favorite ice cream?A: Veinilla. The "veinilla" (vein + vanilla) joke has been cited in print since at least…
“Why are there only 239 beans in Irish bean soup?” (joke)
Beans have a reputation of making people fart, and there's a joke: Q: Why are there only 239 beans in Irish bean soup?A (Irish accent): Because one more and it would be too farty. The joke was…