“If it succeeds, it leads”
"If it bleeds, it leads" has long been the rule in tabloid journalism, meaning that sensational stories (such as murders) are promoted on the front page. "If it succeeds, it…
Archive for /P29360
“My math teacher called me average. Well, that’s just mean”
"My math teacher called me average. Well, that's just mean" is a popular math joke. (A "mean" is an "average.") "My math teacher called me average. Well…
“Everybody wants to shine, but no one wants to polish”
"Everybody/Everyone wants to shine, but no one wants to polish" means that everyone wants the rewards, but no one wants to put in the hard work. "Everyone wants to shine, but no one…
“What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?” (joke)
A popular piano joke is: Q: What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?A: A flat miner. The "miner"/"minor" pun has been cited in print since at least 1975. “What…
“A bass is a bass is a bass” (fishing adage)
"A bass is a bass is a bass" is a fishing adage that means a bass will behave and react the same, no matter what body of water that the fish is found in. "A bass is a bass no matter…
“If fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?”
Manhattan-born comedian George Carlin (1937-2008) wrote in Napalm & Silly Putty (2002): "The contra killers were known as 'freedom fighters.' Well, if crime fighters fight crime…
“A clean house is a sign of no Internet connection”
"A clean house is a sign of no Internet connection" is a jocular line that has been printed on posters. "A clean house is a sign of a broken computer" was cited in print in 2002…
“A man just assaulted me with milk, cream and butter. How dairy”
"A man just assaulted me with milk, cream and butter. How dairy" (a pun on "dare he") is a jocular line that appears to have started in the United Kingdom in 2010. "I…
“I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it”
"I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it" is a jocular line that has been printed on ecards. "I used to have a fear of hurdles, but i got over it" was cited on…
“When you’ve seen one shopping center, you’ve seen a mall”
"When you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall" (a pun on "seen them all") is the classic mall joke. "When you've seen one downtown renovation…
“Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest”
"Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest" (a pun on "resisting arrest") is a popular joke that has been cited in print since at least 2005. A…
“I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger, and then it hit me”
"I wondered why the baseball/frisbee was getting bigger, and then it hit me" is a popular Internet joke of unknown authorship. "I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then…
“A dining car is a chew-chew train”
"Chew-chew train" (for "choo-choo train") is an old joke. "This is presumably the dining car of a chew-chew train" was cited in the New York (NY) Times in 1916. A…
Club Row (West 44th Street)
Manhattan's West 44th Street has many clubs, such as the Cornell Club (6 East 44th), the Harvard Club (27 West 44th), the Penn Club (30 West 44th), the New York Yacht Club (37 West 44th), the…
Translaptation (translation + adaptation)
A "translaptation" is a work that is both a translation and an adaptation of the original. Playwright David Ives popularized the term in 2010 with his "translaptation" of the…
“Hang a lantern on your problem”
"Hang a lantern on your problem" was entered into the political lexicon in the 1980s by Chris Matthews, a former chief of staff to Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip…
“Swing hard, in case you hit it”
"Swing hard in case you hit it" is the advice a baseball batter sometimes gets, especially against a hard-throwing pitcher. "Just swing, that's my philosophy," Baltimore…
“Some days, the best thing about my job is that the chair spins”
"Some days, the best things about my job is that the chair spins" is a jocular saying that hasbeenprinted on many gift items, such as posters, ecards and coffee mugs. "Sometimes the…
Land of Opportunity
The United States has often been called the "land of opportunity." The term "land of opportunity" first became cited in this context in the early 1850s. Several areas of the…
“Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have”
"Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have" is a saying that has been printed on many posters. "NEVERRR let the things you want,, make you FORGET the things…