“You can observe a lot by watching”
New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) was named the team's manager in October 1963, replacing Ralph Houk (1919-2010). Berra told reporters that he'd learned from coaches Houk…
Food/Drink
“You can only say ‘WTF’ so many times a day until you decide to start drinking”
"You can only say 'WTF' ('What the fuck?" -- ed.) so many times a day until you decide to start drinking" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on several…
“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere”
"You can play a shoestring if you're sincere" is a frequently cited quotation attributed to American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane (1926-1967), but it's not known…
“You can play hurt, but you can’t play injured” (sports adage)
Sports sometimes makes a distinction between "playing hurt" and "playing injured." Many players are not 100% when they enter a game and suffer cuts or sprains. A player must…
“You can pray all you want, but eventually David had to pick up a stone and act against Goliath”
"You can pray all you want, but eventually David had to pick up a stone and act against Goliath" is a saying that has been printed on many images. That is, positive action is needed to…
“You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to be there”
"A body can pretend to care, but they can't pretend to be there" is advice from the book Don't Squat With Yer Spurs On!: A Cowboy's Guide to Life (1992) by Texas Bix…
“You can put 30 different fruits in a smoothie, but put a banana in and it’s a banana smoothie”
Many people believe that it doesn't matter what else is in a smoothie -- if you put a banana in, it's a banana smoothie. "You know how no matter what else you put in a smoothie, if…
“You can put literally any topping other than cheese on a hamburger and it’s still a hamburger”
A hamburger with cheese on it is not longer a hamburger -- it's a cheeseburger. However, you can load a hamburger up with ketchup, mustard, onions, lettuce, pickles and more, and it's…
“You can put your boots in the oven, but that don’t make ‘em biscuits”
"You can put your boot in the oven, but that doesn't make them biscuits" means that just because you do something, that doesn't make it so. People sometimes put boots in the…
“You can rob a bank with a gun, but you can rob the world with a bank”
"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime” is a popular proverb. "Give a man a gun and he'll rob a bank. Give a man a bank…
“You can run into debt, but you have to crawl out”
"You can run into debt, but you have to crawl out" is a jocular saying with a long history. "People 'run' into debt; but, sometimes, they 'crawl out of it'"…
“You can say ‘have a nice day,’ but ‘enjoy the next 24 hours’ sounds threatening”
"Have a nice day" is a common greeting. "Enjoy the next 24 hours" essentially means the same thing, but sounds threatening, as if a person will experience trouble the next day.…
“You can say ‘have a nice day,’ but ‘enjoy your next 24 hours’ sounds threatening”
"Have a nice day" is a common greeting. "Enjoy the next 24 hours" essentially means the same thing, but sounds threatening, as if a person will experience trouble the next day.…
“You can shoot a man with impunity, but you’d better not steal his cow”
Cows have value in Texas. This saying (not found elsewhere with these words) dramatically illustrates the point. 12 January 1936, Abilene (TX) Morning Reporter-News, pg. 4, col. 1:It calls to mind…
“You can skate a skateboard and surf a surfboard, but you can’t snow a snowboard”
"Snow" (for snowboarding) is not a verb like "skate" (for skateboarding) and "surf" (for surfboarding). "You surf on a surfboard, but you don't snow on a…
“You Can Smell Our Pits From Miles Away” & “I Got Sauced at the Lick” (The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que)
The Salt Lick barbecue opened for business in Driftwood (near Austin) in 1969; it quickly became famous and now has other locations. One slogan on The Salt Lick's website is:…
“You can steal my memes if you want. But I lick every one of them before I post them”
"You can steal my memes if you want. But I lick every one of them before I post them" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. An image with this saying was posted on…
“You can take a boy out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of a boy”
In the early 1900s, the phrase was: "You can take a boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy." By 1950, the phrase was adapted to Texas: "You can…
“You can take that to the bank and smoke it”
"You can take that to the bank and smoke it!" is a combination of the sayings "take it to the bank" (a sure thing) and "put that in your pipe and smoke it" (said after…
“You can tell a girl likes you if she stares at your phone instead of her own”
People tend to stare at their phones -- even on dates. "You can tell a girl likes you if she stares at your phone instead of her own" is a jocular one-line saying that was posted on…