Greater Recession
The "Great Depression" is the popular name for the economic crisis of the 1930s; the term "Great Recession" has been used since the Great Depression for smaller economic dips,…
Archive for /P34840
Staten Island Tuxedo
A "Staten Island tuxedo" has been described as a velour track suit, often worn by Italian men from Staten Island. The "Staten Island tuxedo" term has been in the Urban…
New York Alphabet or Brooklyn Alphabet (“Fuckin’ A, fuckin’ B, fuckin’ C…”)
New York City has long had a tough reputation, with the F-word frequently used, An old joke has it that the "New York alphabet" (or "Brooklyn alphabet" or "New Jersey…
“It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission”
"Always remember that it's much easier to apologize than to get permission," said Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992) in December 1982. "It's easier to ask forgiveness…
ZIRP (Zero Interest Rate Policy)
"ZIRP" (or "Zirp") stands for "Zero Interest Rate Policy." The Bank of Japan used ZIRP in 1999-2000, and the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States used ZIRP in…
Blameocracy (blame + democracy); Blameocrat (blame + bureaucrat)
A "blameocracy" (blame + democracy) is when one political party blames another political party for seemingly all of the country's problems, or when a president blames the previous…
“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians”
"War is too important to be left to the generals” is a famous quote, attributed to Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929). The quotation has also become famous in a politics version. T. S. Eliot…
“Good judgment comes from experience—and that comes from bad judgment”
"Good judgment comes from experience -- and that comes from bad/poor judgment" is a jocular saying that was allegedly told by Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. (1886-1945) in 1936. The saying…
Prayerpalooza
Texas Governor Rick Perry scheduled a day of prayer, officially titled "The Response," at Houston's Reliant Stadium on August 6, 2011. About 30,000 people attended what many viewed…
Dirt Bond
"Diirt bonds" have been popular in California, Florida, Texas, Colorado and Louisiana, helping new developments by financing against the land (or "dirt"). Quasi-governmental…
Thunder on the Left (Thunder on the Right)
Christopher Morley published the novel Thunder on the Left in 1925. The term "thunder on the left" has referred to Democrats since at least 1932. The term "thunder on the right"…
Luxury Liner Row
The largest luxury ships in New York harbor have (since about 1936) docked at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal, on the Hudson River between West 44th and West 57th streets, The nickname…
Gallerina (gal + art gallery + ballerina)
A "gallerina" (gal + art gallery + ballerina) or "gallery girl" is a receptionist at an art gallery. A man can also be a "gallerina," although most gallerinas are…
Lost Decade (2000-2009)
The term "lost decade" originally referred to the 1990s Japanese economy that experienced flat growth rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 10,000 in March 1999 and 10,000 again in…
“You don’t need analysts in a bull market, and you don’t want them in a bear market”
"You don’t need analysts in a bull market, and you don’t want them in a bear market" is a Wall Street saying usually attributed to financial trader and writer Gerald M. Loeb…
Dirty SA (San Antonio nickname)
"Dirty SA" is a nickname for the city of San Antonio. On his radio show on August 5, 2011, Neal Boortz (who attended Texas A&M from 1963-67) took a caller from San Antonio and…
“Politics is the art of taking money from the few and votes from the many”
Entry in progress -- B.P. [The Quote Investigator provided assistance for this entry -- B.P.] Wikipedia: Matthew QuayMatthew Stanley Quay (September 30, 1833 – May 28, 1904) was an immensely…
Hot Tub (Washington, D.C. nickname)
M. Stanton Evans wrote in the late 1980s about the Reagan Republicans who came to Washington: "Most conservatives know when they come to Washington that it is a sewer; the trouble is, too many…
Fauxsterity (faux + austerity)
"Fauxsterity" (faux + austerity) is a term to describe a "fake' austerity. In a federal budget deal signed into law in August 2011, cuts in the federal budget were claimed, but…
Pointy Boots
Texas Governor Rick Perry was frequently called "Pointy Boots" in June-July 2011, when Perry flirted with running for president. KLBJ-AM 590 (Austin) radio personality Jeff Ward used the…