“You can’t make a soufflé rise twice”
In 1948, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey (1902-1971) ran for president of the United States -- and lost again. After Dewey's defeat in November 1948, Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884-1980)…
New York of India (Mumbai nickname)
“You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit”
The expressive flip side to "chicken salad" is "chicken feathers" (a euphemism for "chicken shit"). A difference "between chicken salad and chicken feathers"…
“You can’t make everybody happy. You’re not a Nutella jar”
"You can't make everybody happy you're not a NUTELLA jar" was cited on Twitter on August 19, 2014. Nutella is the brand name of an Italian sweetened hazelnut chocolate spread.…
“You can’t make half a sandwich”
On the American television sitcom The Big Bang Theory, the episode "The Guitarist Amplification" that originally aired on November 9, 2009, the character Sheldon Cooper (actor Jim…
“You can’t make the club in the tub” (sports adage)
"You can't make the club in the tub" means that you can't make the team if you're always injured (and in the tub because of injury). "You can't make the club in…
“You can’t out-exercise a bad diet”
"You can't out-exercise a bad/poor diet" means that if one's diet is poor, then exercise will not overcome that. "We all know that it is very difficult to out-exercise a…
“You can’t outrun a fart on a treadmill”
Many people fart while on a treadmill. "You can't outrun a fart on a treadmill" was posted on Twitter on March 8, 2010, and the saying has been printed on several images. "Pro…
“You can’t pick cherries with your back to the tree”
"You can't pick cherries with your back to the tree" has been attributed to American financier J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) since at least the 1980s, but there's no…
“You can’t pick your friends’ noses”
It's a simple bit of civics: "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends' noses." The silly saying has an unknown origin.…
“You can’t plant flowers if you haven’t botany”
Entry in progress -- B.P. TwitterJim Chaparas JimGCknows that it is difficult to study Plants if you haven't BOTANY ....10:34 AM - 10 Sep 2010 TwitterⒶpril Fe☭es🚩 @leducvioletI…
“You can’t play boxing” (“You don’t play boxing”)
"You can play baseball, you can play basketball, you can play football, but you can't/don't play boxing," boxers frequently say. The expression implies that boxing is a much…
“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first”
"You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many images. That is, one must fill one's self up before…
“You can’t predict baseball” (baseball adage)
Baseball, as many have said, is an unpredictable game. "You can't predict what can happen in baseball" was cited in 1970. "Baseball is a game you can't predict" was…
“You can’t push a string” (economics adage)
Pulling a string is easy; pushing a string is difficult, with the string quickly losing its straightness. The term "pushing (on) a string" has been cited in print since at least 1910. In…
“You can’t push yourself forward by patting yourself on the back”
“You can’t push yourself forward by patting yourself on the back" is a motivational saying that has been cited in print since at least 1921. Authorship is unknown. "You cannot propel…
“You can’t put a crown on a clown and expect a king”
"You can't put a crown on a clown and expect a king" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying is often meant to refer to a United States president. The origin of…
“You can’t reform fascism”
Many people believe that fascism is evil and that it must be overthrown, not reformed. "You can't reform fascism or strong-arm religious fascists" was posted on Twitter by Lulu on…
“You can’t ride two horses with one behind”
"You can't ride two horses at one time" is a popular proverb that dates to at least the 1800s. The expression slowly become more colorful. "We cannot ride two horses with one…
“You can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you, Mr. President” (Nellie Connally)
"You can't say Dallas doesn't love you, Mr. President" are the ironic words of Nellie Connally, wife of then-Texas Governor John B. Connally, to President John F. Kennedy in a…
“You can’t script October” (baseball adage)
Fox Sports covered the 2004 Major League Baseball playoffs and used a popular tagline, "You can't script October." "You can't script October" was filed for a trademark…