“A man in debt is caught in a net”
Entry in progress -- B.P. The proverb is cometimes credited to John Ray's 17th century book of English proverbs, but it does not appear there. Google BooksThe Salt-Cellars: Being a collection…
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“I owe, I owe, so off to work I go”
"I owe, I owe, so/it's off to work I go" is a popular saying on bumper stickers and other gift items. The saying is sung to the tune of "Heigh-Ho" (the Dwarfs'…
“Loans and debts make worries and frets”
Entry in progress -- B.P. The proverb is cometimes credited to John Ray's 17th century book of English proverbs, but it does not appear there. Google BooksThe Salt-Cellars:Being a collection…
Dorm District (Yorkville, Manhattan)
Yorkville (on the east side of Manhattan) has been called the "Dorm District" because of the many students who reside there. Yorkville's Wikipedia entry mentions that these students…
Fun City
New York's "Fun City" nickname was born in the first days of Mayor John Lindsay's administration in January 1966. There was a transit strike; after observing New York's…
Christians In Action (Central Intelligence Agency or CIA nickname)
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the successor to World War II's Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The CIA nickname of "Christians In Action" was probably coined or at…
Big Blue Apple (Big Blue + Big Apple)
"Big Blue Apple" (Big Blue + Big Apple) is what New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called New York City in February 2012, during the celebration for the Super Bowl-winning New York…
Full Blown Idiots (Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI nickname)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was founded in 1908 and conducts federal criminal and intelligence investigations. The unflattering FBI nickname of "Full Blown Idiots" has been…
“She was only a moonshiner’s daughter, but he loved her still”
"She was only a moonshiner's daughter, but he loved her still" is an old pun on the word "still" (that can also mean "distillery"). "She may be only a…
“A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat”
"A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat" is a joke that has appeared on many Internet lists since 2000. The joke centers on "hard to beat" eggs meaning also…
“In a democracy, your vote counts; in feudalism, your count votes”
"In a democracy, it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your count that votes" (or, "In a democracy, your vote counts; in feudalism, your count votes") has…
“A lot of money is tainted—‘taint yours and ‘taint mine”
"A lot of money is tainted -- 'taint yours and 'taint mine" is an old joke on the word "taint" (meaning "a trace of a bad or undesirable quality") and the…
“A clean tie attracts the soup of the day”
"The Diner's Dilemma - A clean tie attracts the soup of the day" is from the book More Murphy's Law (1982) by Arthur Bloch. A new (or newly cleaned) tie becomes an immediate…
“A financier is a pawnbroker with imagination”
"A financier is a pawnbroker with imagination" is credited to the playwright Arthur Wing Pinero (1855-1934). This is slightly incorrect. In Pinero's play, Iris (1901), one character…
“Satire is something that closes on Saturday night” (theatre adage)
"Satire is what closes on Saturday night" is a 1937 quotation of playwright George S. Kaufman (1889-1961). Kaufman co-authored many popular comedies -- and satires -- but he felt that…
“It’s lonely at the top, but you eat better”
"It's lonely at the top" is an old American proverb. The novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun (1860) has, "It's very lonesome at the summit!"…
“If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments”
A creditor wants to be paid back, so a creditor wishes a debtor good physical and financial health. "Quickest way to get back on your feet is to miss a couple of car payments!" has been…
“A bad play saved by a bad performance” (Broadway saying)
The playwright and drama critic George S. Kaufman (1889-1961) has been said to have reviewed the comedic play Skylark (1939), by Samson Raphelson, that starred the English actress Gertrude Lawrence…
“There was laughter back of the theater, leading to the belief that somebody was telling jokes”
The playwright and drama critic George S. Kaufman (1889-1961) has been credited with saying this about an unsuccessful comedic play: "There was laughter in the back of the theater, leading to…
“The play opened at 8:40 sharp and closed at 10:40 dull” (Broadway saying)
The shortest review of a play is credited to Heywood Broun (1888-1939), who allegedly wrote this simple dismissal of the play's proceedings: "It opened at 8:30 sharp and closed at 10:40…