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October 5, 2012
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing”

"When it comes to helping you, some people stop at nothing" was written in April 1959 by syndicated newspaper columnist Helen Bottel (1914-1999). "When it comes to giving, some…

April 7, 2023
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When my money low, I don’t feel good. I think I’m a dollarbetic”

"When my money low, I don't feel good. I think I'm a dollarbetic" (usually shown spoken by Baby Yoda) is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Dollarbetic"…

November 3, 2014
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When people rob banks, they go to jail; when banks rob people, they get bonuses”

"When people rob banks, they go to jail. When banks rob people, they get bonuses" became a popular saying in 2011. "When people rob banks, They are thrown into tanks. When banks rob…

October 4, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When the ducks quack, feed them” (Wall Street proverb)

Wall Street is in business to make money; when investors want to buy something (such as an initial public offering), that something is offered for sale. It doesn't make any difference if Wall…

October 7, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When the economic tide goes out, you find out who is swimming naked” (Warren Buffett?)

"When the economic tide goes out, you find out who is swimming naked" is a colorful quotation that's often attributed to investor Warren Buffett. Buffett did use the phrase by at…

January 8, 2011
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When the Fed taps on the brakes, somebody goes through the windshield”

"When the Fed taps on the brakes, somebody goes through the windshield" means that when the Federal Reserve tightens the money supply (figuratively "tapping" or…

December 16, 2010
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls” (Wall Street adage)

"When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls" is a Wall Street saying, meaning that when stocks start to strongly fall or to strongly rise, the market takes all the stocks in…

September 25, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When Wall Street sneezes, the rest of the world catches pneumonia” (“When America sneezes…”)

Wall Street influences Main Street and even the rest of the world. "When Wall Street sneezes," the saying goes, "the rest of the world catches pneumonia." The phrase has several…

January 27, 2020
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When we grow up, checking for monsters under the bed becomes checking our bank accounts”

"When we grow up, checking for monsters under the bed becomes checking our bank accounts. Equally terrifying" and "As an adult, checking the bank account is the equivalent of…

December 12, 2012
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost”

The following three lines were printed in 1882 and credited as "Motto on the walls of a school in Germany"" When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;When health is lost, something is…

October 26, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you are crying you should be buying; When you are yelling you should be selling”

A bit of rhyming investment advice is: "When everyone's crying you should be buying. When everyone's yelling you should be selling." In other words, do the opposite of what…

May 19, 2014
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you get a new customer, make three trades” (Wall Street adage)

Louisiana-born investment advisor Blaine Lourd gave a 2007 interview to Michael Lewis, and Lourd discussed the gullibility of investors: "When you got a new customer, all you needed to do was…

April 8, 2015
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you open your heart to giving, angels fly to your door”

"When you open your heart to giving, angels fly to your door" is a quotation, usually unattributed, that is frequently used by many charity organizations. "He taught us that when you…

February 27, 2020
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you pay for things with a credit card, you’re paying with your future earnings”

"When you pay for things with a credit card, you’re paying with your future earnings. When you pay with a debit card, you’re paying with your past earnings" is an explanation of…

February 28, 2020
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you pay with a debit card, you’re paying with your past earnings”

"When you pay for things with a credit card, you’re paying with your future earnings. When you pay with a debit card, you’re paying with your past earnings" is an explanation of…

December 7, 2010
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you raid a whorehouse, take the piano player, too, because no one is entirely innocent”

"When you raid a whorehouse, take the piano player, too, because no one is entirely innocent" is a Wall Street saying, meaning that when stocks start to strongly fall or to strongly rise,…

October 21, 2012
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you tighten your belt, it’s a recession; when you have no belt, it’s a depression”

What's the difference between a recession, a depression and a panic? This was explained in 1934 and in several newspapers in 1939: "When you tighten you belt, its a recession. When you…

September 4, 2009
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Whenever you don’t know who the loser is in a transaction, then the loser is you”

"If you're at a poker table and you don't see a sucker, it's you." This gambling saying dates to at least 1982 and was possibly coined by Amarillo Slim Preston, a…

January 8, 2006
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Where are the customers’ yachts?”

"Where are the customers' yachts?" is a question asked by someone who saw only brokers' yachts at a yacht club. It's an old Wall Street remark. 29 October 1885, Forest and…

December 20, 2017
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Where can you always find money?”/“In the dictionary.”

A popular money riddle is: Q: Where can you always find money?A: In the dictionary. Versions of the riddle have been cited in print since at least 1908 and 1913. 15 October 1908, The Kentucky Post…

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BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

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