“Never name the chickens” (military adage)
"Don't/Never name the chickens" is a barnyard adage that has also been used in the military. "We decided not to name our chickens...it makes it so hard to eat them later"…
New York of India (Mumbai nickname)
“Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche”
American humorist Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994) listed several "rules to follow when ordering in an unfamiliar restaurant" in his newspaper column on April 11, 1986. The first rule was:…
“Never order ravioli at a restaurant. They never give you enough”
When people order ravioli at a restaurant, it's usually too expensive (about $19) and the amount of ravioli is usually too few (about 3-6 pieces). "Should learn that ordering ravioli at a…
“Never order salad at a barbecue joint”
Good barbecue comes with sides (such as potato salad), but a rule of thumb often given is to "never order a salad at a barbecue joint." Most barbecue places don't serve salads,…
“Never order sweet tea in a state that does not have an SEC team”
Southern humorist Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994) is credited with this as-yet-unsourced saying: "Never order sweet tea in a state that doesn't have an SEC team." The expression is…
“Never play hide and seek with mountain ranges because they peak”
In the game of hide and seek, the seeker is not supposed to peek and see where others are hiding. A riddle was posted on Twitter by Helen Bullock on November 14, 2012: Q: Why can't you play…
“Never play leapfrog with a unicorn”
"Leapfrog" (or "leap frog") is a children's game where one player jumps over another's stooped back. The game has been played on playgrounds for hundreds of years.…
“Never play pool with a guy named Fats”
Nelson Algren (1909-1981) wrote about this advice in A Walk on the Wild Side (1956): "Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never play cards with a man named Doc. And never lay down with a…
“Never play tennis with a cymbal. It makes a terrible racket”
"I've just seen a kid playing tennis with a cymbal. Terrible racket" is a pun that was posted on X/Twitter by Marty Lawrence on October 18, 2013. "Racket" can mean…
“Never play Uno with a Mexican. They take all the green cards”
A joke about the card game Uno has been printed on many images: Q: Why can't you play Uno with a Mexican?A: They steal all the green cards. The politically incorrect joke was posted on Twitter…
“Never put a number and a date in the same sentence” (forecasting adage)
"Never put a date and a number in the same sentence" (or "Never put a number and a date in the same sentence") is a saying used both in business and politics. If an economic…
“Never put Nutella on salmon or you’ll get Salmonella”
"Never put Nutella on salmon or you'll get Salmonella" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. The joke Nutella recipe for "Salmonella" was printed on the…
“Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether”
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today" is a proverb that might be a thousand years old. The proverb has had many parodies. "Always put off until tomorrow what you can…
“Never read the last line of a play at a rehearsal” (theatre superstition)
Entry in progress -- BP Toby SimkinTheatre Superstition The Last LineIt has been considered bad luck to say the final line of a show before it opens. Therefore, many rehearsals skip the final line…
“Never realized until today that Karl Marx’s sister, Onya, invented the starting pistol”
German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist and political theorist Karl Marx (1818-1883) did not have a sister called "Onya Marx" ("on your marks," as said at the…
“Never relinquish clothing to a hotel valet without telling him you want it back”
New York-based author Fran Lebowitz offered "Travel Hints" in her book Social Studies (1981): "Never relinquish clothing to a hotel valet without first specifically telling him that…
“Never ruin an apology with an excuse”
"Never ruin an apology with an excuse" is a popular saying of uncertain authorship. "Quote for the time being: Never ruin an apology with an excuse" was cited in September 1996…
“Never run a fruit stand in an action movie”
An action movie cliché is the car chase, and a car always seems to drive into a fruit stand on the sidewalk. "Apart from the above, my major gripe is with the pointless car chase, in which…
“Never say ‘die,’ say ‘damn’” (“Pa” Ferguson?)
"Never say 'die,' say 'damn'" was supposedly the motto of James Edward "Pa" Ferguson (1871-1944), the only Texas governor ever to be impeached. However, the…
“Never say diet”
"Never say die" is a phrase cited in print from at least 1814. "Never say diet" has been the title of several weight-reducing books and articles, including a 1980 book by…