“A principle isn’t a principle until it costs you money”
William "Bill" Bernbach (1911-1982), one of the founders of the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), created many legendary ad campaigns. However, after the U.S. Surgeon General…
1960s: Fun City
“A prisoner walks into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A prisoner version is: "A prisoner walks into a bar." The joke is that the…
“A problem is a chance for you to do your best”
"A problem is a chance for you to do your best" is a saying that has been credited (since at least 1984) to American composer and bandleader Duke Ellington (1899-1974). The attribution…
“A problem with drinking with people from work is they’re the ones I bitch about when I’m drunk”
"The problem with drinking with people from work is they’re the ones I bitch about when I’m drunk" is a one-line saying that has been printed on several images. The saying was posted…
“A problem with drinking with people from work is they’re the ones I bitch about when I’m drunk”
"The problem with drinking with people from work is they’re the ones I bitch about when I’m drunk" is a one-line saying that has been printed on several images. The saying was posted…
“A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep”
"A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep" is a jocular quotation that has been attributed to the poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973) since at least 1940. The quotation has…
“A professor must have a theory, as a dog must have fleas”
Newspaper columnist and author H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) disliked The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910 (1911) by Joel Elias Spingarn (1876-1939). Mencken…
“A programmer walks into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A programmer version is: "A programmer walks into a bar holding up two fingers and…
“A pub is for life, not just for Christmas”
"A pub is for life, not just for Christmas" is a saying that has been printed on many T-shirts. The saying became popular in United Kingdom pubs from at least 2003, promoting year-round…
“A puddle of vomit goes into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." There are various "sick joke" versions. "A pile of vomit walks into a bar,…
“A pun walks into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A pun version is: "A pun walks into a bar, ten people die on the spot. Pun in, ten…
“A QA engineer walks into a bar…” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A quality assurance (QA) engineer version is: "A QA engineer walks into a bar. Orders…
“A quesadilla is essentially a grilled cheese sandwich”
The Mexican "quesadilla" has been compared to the American "grilled cheese sandwich." "In its simplest form, a quesadilla is a grilled cheese sandwich," the Calgary…
“A question mark walks into a bar?” (bar joke)
"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A question mark version is: "A question mark walks into a bar?" The joke…
“A quick nickel is better than a slow dime”
"A fast/quick nickel is better than a slow dime/quarter/dollar" means that a smaller profit (with greater volume) can be better for business than a potentially larger profit (with less…
“A race horse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time”
"A race horse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time" is a pun on the idiom "to take somebody for a ride," meaning to cheat or deceive…
“A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously”
"A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top" is a popular observation. "Champagne Trick: A raisin…
“A Rastafarian walks into a bank with a bag of marijuana. He wanted to open a joint account”
A joke about a "joint" bank account has been cited in print since at least 2009: "A Rastafarian walks into a bank with a huge bag of dagga wanting to open a joint account."…
“A Rat In The House May/Might Eat The Ice Cream” (“arithmetic” spelling aid)
"A Rat In The House May/Might Eat The Ice Cream" is a mnemonic aid that some have used to spell the word "arithmetic." The line "a rat in the house may eat the ice…
“A real friend never gets in your way—unless you happen to be on the way down”
"A real friend never gets in your way -- unless you happen to be on the way down" (or "A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down") is a friendship…