Rotten Ronnie’s (McDonald’s nickname)
McDonald's fast food restaurants have had a Ronald McDonald clown mascot since 1966. The McDonald's nickname of "Rotten Ronnie's" has been cited in print since at least the…
Archive for /P33040
“History is a set of lies agreed upon”
"History is a set of lies agreed upon" has usually been credited to Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) -- "La vérité historique est souvent une fable convenue." However, in 1758,…
Governmedia (government + media)
"Governmedia" (govern + media) is the combination of government and media. The nicknames "fourth branch of government" and "government watchdog" are sometimes given to…
Governmedia (government + media)
"Governmedia" (govern + media) is the combination of government and media. The nicknames "fourth branch of government" and "government watchdog" are sometimes given to…
Booger King (Burger King nickname)
Burger King is a fast food restaurant chain that began in 1953. The Burger King nickname of "Booger King" has been cited in print since at least 1990. The name "booger" is often…
Five Guys Boogers and Flies (Five Guys Burgers and Fries nickname)
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is a fast food chain restaurant that first opened in Virginia in 1986. "Burgers and fries" have been nicknamed "boogers and flies" since at least the…
Whitey One-Bite (White Castle nickname)
White Castle is a fast food restaurant chain that began in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. The small, square hamburgers have been called "White Castles" and have been nicknamed…
Led Robster or Lead Robster (Red Lobster nickname)
Red Lobster seafood restaurant was founded in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968. The spoonerism of the Red Lobster name -- "Led Robster" or "Lead Robster" -- has been cited in print…
“Back to the drawing board” (starting over after failure)
A drawing board is where plans are drawn up, such as the design for a new building, airplane or automobile. If that design fails, the designers have to go "back to the drawing board" to…
“Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.”
"Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian" has been cited in print since at least 1985, when it was credited to humorist Robert Orben. Another joke…
“If you want to get laid, go to college; if you want an education, go to the library”
"If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library" is a popular quotation credited to the musician Frank Zappa (1940-1993). Zappa loved libraries, but…
“War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography”
"War is God's way of teaching us geography" was said by comedian Paul Rodriguez at Comic Relief in 1987. Rodriguez later added the Gulf War (started when Iraq invaded Kuwait in…
Bowen’s Rule (Bowen’s Law; Bowen’s Revenue Theory of Cost)
Howard Bowen (1908-1989) wrote about the "revenue theory of cost" in regard to higher education; the theory has been called "Bowen's Law" and "Bowen's Rule"…
“Write drunk, edit sober”
"Write drunk, edit sober" ha been printed on many gift items, such as posters, mugs and T-shirts. The one-line saying has usually been attributed to writer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961),…
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" is a popular quotation that has been credited to Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962). However, the quotation has not been…
Jenga Building (56 Leonard Street)
The Swiss architecture firm of Herzog & de Meuron designed a building for 56 Leonard Street in Manhattan that looked like imperfectly stacked blocks. Curbed NY's Septembe 15, 2008 story…
“If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four of them sharpening my axe”
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) is often quoted for having said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." The hours vary (usually it's given as…
“We forgive a child afraid of the dark; the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light”
"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light" has been frequently credited since the 1960s to the Greek…
Wall Street of the West (Montgomery Street in San Francisco)
San Francisco's Montgomery Street runs through its Financial District ("FiDi") and has been called the "Wall Street of the West." The term "Wall street of the west…
“Liberty is being free from the things we don’t like in order to be slaves of the things we do like”
"Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like" has been cited in print since at least 1912, when the quotation was credited in…