Enthusiasm Gap
The "enthusiasm gap" became a political buzz term for the 2010 midterm elections; many political commentators felt that the tea party demonstrations had given much more enthusiasm to…
Archive for /P35900
Poet’s Building (437 East 12th Street)
Poets Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) and Peter Orlovsky (1933-2010) lived at 437 East 12th Street in Manhattan. Ginsberg lived in what came to be called "The Poet's Building" from…
Educrat (education + bureaucrat)
"Educrat" (education/educator + bureaucrat) is a word that appears to have been coined by Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk in January 1967. The term is usually derogatory, used by those…
Living Room Liberal
A "living room liberal" is a person who holds liberal views in the privacy of his or her living room, but who who doesn't apply those views to the greater world of other people with…
Golf Clap (moderate applause/enthusiasm)
A "golf clap" occurs after a professional golfer hits the ball and it lands on the green. It is a respectful clapping from the crowd (less loud than the clapping after an amazing shot,…
“Looking for a job is a full-time job”
"Looking for a job is a full-time job" (or, "Looking for work is a full-time job") is a saying suggesting that a job search can be very diificult. The saying appears to date…
Schmear (Schmeer; Shmear; Shmeer)
Jewish New Yorkers sometimes order a "bagel with schmear" (or "bagel mit schmear"). The Yiddish word "schmear" (other spellings include "schmeer,"…
Grand Old Tea Party (GOTP)
The TEA (Taxed Enough Already) party movement of 2009-2010 changed the Republican Party. The "Grand Old Party" acquired the nickname "Grand Old Tea Party," with "GOP"…
“The public ignores a presidential election until after the World Series”
"The public ignores a presidential (or general) election until after the World Series" has been a political axiom since at least the 1920s. The World Series used to end in early October,…
“Get the U.S. out of the U.N. and the U.N. out of the U.S.”
The United Nations was formed in 1945; its headquarters at Turtle Bay in Manhattan was completed in 1952. "Take US out of UN, then push UN out of US" was cited in 1951, before the…
Bedwetting Liberal
A "bedwetting liberal" (or "bed wetting liberal") is a derogatory term, similar to "liberal pansy," to describe a person weak in the bladder and (presumably) the…
Buckley Rule (vote for most conservative primary candidate likely to win general election)
Conservative author and commentator William F. Buckley (1925-2008) was asked, in 1967, whom he would support in 1968 for U.S. president. Buckley responded with what would late be called the…
Limbaugh Rule (vote for most conservative candidate in primary)
Conservative radio talk show host Ruch Limbaugh announced, on September 14, 2010, a new "Limbaugh Rule" about primary voting. The older "Buckley Rule" (after William F. Buckley)…
El Chuco or Chucotown (El Paso nickname)
El Paso is infrequently called "El Chuco" or "Chuco Town"/"Chucotown." The term comes from the word "pachuco," a Mexican Spanish Caló dialect word of…
“The answer to 1984 is 1776”
'The answer to 1984 is 1776" is a popular line from conservative radio talk show host and filmmaker Alex Jones. The saying appears in his film, Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement…
“Words mean things”
"Words mean things" has been the catchphrase of conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh since at least 1993. Limbaugh often uses "words mean things" to describe the…
Liberal Elite
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Liberal eliteIn the United States the term liberal elite is a political phrase to describe affluent, politically liberal-leaning people. It is commonly used…
“When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras”
"When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras" has been a popular medical proverb since about the 1950s. The saying means that one (such as a doctor) should look for the expected…
“Question Authority”
"Question Authority" buttons and bumper stickers appeared by January 1979, sold by Kate Donnelly (now Donnelly/Colt Progressive Resources). The "Question Authority" saying…
“Everything I really need to know about Islam, I learned on September 11th, 2001”
"Everything I really need to know about Islam, I learned on September 11th, 2001" (or, "All I really need to know about Islam, I learned on September 11th, 2001") refers to the…