Black Budget
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Black budget A black budget is a budget that is secretly collected from the overall income of a nation, a corporation, a society of any form, a national…
Archive for /P31660
“You’ll have a whole eternity to think inside the box”
Businesses sometimes encourage people to "think outside the box" (think unconventionally) to find solutions. "You'll have a whole eternity to think inside the box" is a…
“A professor must have a theory, as a dog must have fleas”
Newspaper columnist and author H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) disliked The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910 (1911) by Joel Elias Spingarn (1876-1939). Mencken…
“You’ve got to make contacts to make contracts”
"You've got to make contacts to make contracts" is a one-line saying that has been credited to Cavett Robert (1907-1997), co-founder of the National Speakers Association. "It…
Stage Mother
A "stage mother" is the mother of a stage performer -- usually a daughter. The stereotypical stage mother does everything to make her child a star. A classic description is of the mothers…
Bespoke Vegetables
"Bespoke" usually refers to an item of clothing made to a customer's specifications, such as "bespoke tailoring." A news article on Bloomberg.com in August 2013, "How…
Guacward (guacamole + awkward); Awkward Guacamole
"Guacward" (guacamole + awkward) is a jocular word about the awkwardness in eating or making guacamole. The term "guacward" has been cited in print since at least 2010, when it…
McStrike (labor strike of fast food workers)
A "McStrike" is a labor strike by fast food workers. The term "McStrike" (McDonald's + strike) sometimes indicates a strike specifically at McDonald's (the leading…
“Your network is your net worth”
"Your network builds/creates/determines/is your net worth" is a business saying that states that who you know (your network) can determine what you have (your net worth). "Your…
Boobus Americanus
The newspaper columnist and American language scholar H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) wrote in 1927 about the words he created: "Of my inventions I am vainest of Bible Belt, booboisie, smut hound…
Peace Dividend
The term "peace dividend" means the extra money that becomes available to a country with a reduced military budget during peacetime. The term was popularized in May 1968, when people…
“My word is my bond” (“Word is bond”); Dictum Meum Pactum
"My word is my bond" (Dictum Meum Pactum in Latin) became the motto of the London Stock Exchange in 1923 and the Security Traders Association in 1934. "My word is my bond" is an…
Beefullness (beef + fullness)
McDonald's fast food restaurants in South Africa invented the name "beefullness" (beef + fullness) in 2013. "It's that feeling of pure contentment as you take the last bite…
Procrasturbate (procrastinate + masturbate)
"Procrasturbate" (procrastinate + masturbate) is to procrastinate by masturbating; a similar term is "jerking off." "I've always thought 'procrasturbation'…
Ranchocado (ranch dressing + avocado)
"Ranchocado (ranch dressing + avocado) is a portmanteau for "avocado-ranch dressing." "Avocado ranch dressing: has been cited in print since at least 1993. Vegan Sandwiches Save…
“Give peace a chance” (“Give war a chance”)
Beatles musician John Lennon (1940-1980) wrote the song "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969; Pete Seeger sang it at the anti-Vietnam War Moratorium March on Washington on November 15, 1969.…
“Directing is 90 percent casting” (theatre adage)
"Directing is 80/90 percent casting" has been credited to directors Elia Kazan (1909-2003), William Wyler (1902-1981), John Ford (1894-1973), John Huston (1906-1987), Martin Ritt…
“If it swims, serve Fino; if it flies, serve Amontillado; if it runs, serve Oloroso”
The rule for pairing sherry and food is: If it swims, drink/serve Fino.If it flies, drink/serve Amontillado.If it runs, drink/serve Oloroso This saying has been cited in print since 2011 and has…
“It takes a lot of beer to make good wine”
"It takes a lot of beer to make good wine" is a popular saying in California's Napa Valley wine region. After a hot day in the field, workers usually want cold beers. "'It…
“Nobody is bigger than the market” (Wall Street adage)
"No man/one/person is bigger than the market" (or "Nobody is bigger than the market") is a saying popular in Wall Street and other markets. The saying means that a free market…