“Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it”
"Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it" is a popular line to avoid travelers' diarrhea from foods and drinks. The New Zealand Department of Health produced the booklet…
Archive for /P29100
Hudson Mustache
The term "Hudson (River) mustache" was popularized in the New York (NY) Times article "River Grime? Triathletes Are Swimming in It" by Lindsay Crouse, published on August 3.…
Bragging Rights
When the New York Giants play the New York Jets in preseason, it's for "bragging rights" -- the right to brag about being the best team in New York City, even if the game itself is…
“I didn’t think wearing orthopaedic shoes would help my posture, but now I stand corrected”
"I didn't think wearing orthopaedic shoes would help my posture," an old joke goes, "but now I stand corrected." The joke has been told several times by television…
Wossamotta U or Whatsamatta U (fictional university)
"Whatsamatta" is dialect speech for "what's the matter." "Whatsamatta witcha?" was cited in 1925 in the comic strip Reg'lar Fellers by Gene Byrnes…
Runsploring (running + exploring); Runsplorer
"Runsploring" (running + exploring) allows a person to both run and explore, with stops made at interesting locations. A "runsploring" group began in San Francisco on June 13,…
“Last one in is a rotten egg”
"The last one in (the water) is a rotten egg!" is what some children say just before swimming. A "rotten egg" -- meaning a worthless or contemptible person -- is old slang.…
“Probe with bayonets”
"Probe with bayonets. If you encounter steel, withdraw. If you encounter mush, continue" is credited to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924). THe book The Unknown Lenin: From the…
“A defenseman needs 300 games to learn how to play” (hockey adage)
A popular adage in hockey is that it take a defensemen 200 to 300 games to really learn how to play the position. "You know as well as I do that a player becomes a real player, a pro, with 300…
“Sun’s out, guns out”
"Sun's out, guns out" is a popular saying that has been printed on many shirts. "Gun" is slang for "biceps." When the summer sun is out, it's time to get the…
“Enough about me. What do YOU think about me?” (actor joke)
An old joke is told about a self-absorbed actor who then says, "But enough enough about me. Let's talk about you. What do you think about me?" The joke was cited in Punch magazine in…
Generation Remuneration
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Telegraph (UK)Money talks: Brits say pay package most important concern when jobseeking'Generation Perspiration', which was just grateful to have a job, has…
Generation Perspiration
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Telegraph (UK)Money talks: Brits say pay package most important concern when jobseeking'Generation Perspiration', which was just grateful to have a job, has…
Banned Parenthood (Planned Parenthood nickname)
Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. Planned Parenthood has been nicknamed "Banned Parenthood" by those who…
Planned Barrenhood (Planned Parenthood nickname)
Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides reproductive health and maternal and child health services. Planned Parenthood has been nicknamed "Planned Barrenhood" by those who…
Breakfastarian
A "breakfastarian" is someone who loves to eat breakfast, no matter what time of the day. The word "breakfastarian" was cited on Twitter in 2009, but the meaning is unclear. A…
“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…
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…