“Don’t sell America short”
"Don't sell America short!" (or "Don't sell the United States short!") is a famous Wall Street. phrase. It means to hold stock in the United States -- whatever dips…
“Don’t short new highs or buy new lows”
"Don't sell/short new highs or buy new lows" is stock market advice that some follow and others do not. Many stock market analysts believe that it's not possible to call the top…
“Don’t take any wooden nickels”
"Don't take any wooden money/nickels" means "don't be cheated/duped." "Don't take any wooden nickels or bad checks" was cited in 1903 and…
“Don’t tell my mother I’m a banker—she thinks I play piano in a whorehouse”
"Don't tell my mother I'm a banker -- she thinks I play piano in a bordello/brothel/cat house/whorehouse" is a joke about how little people think of bankers. The joke began…
“Dread the Fed”
The Federal Reserve (frequently called "the Fed") is the central banking system of the United States. "Should we dread the Fed?" was asked in a 2009 book. Irwin Kellner, the…
“Dress British, Think Yiddish” (“Dress British, Look Irish, Think Yiddish”)
"Dress British, Think Yiddish" is cited from at least 1962 and means to look conventional, but to think unconventionally. The phrase (also given as "Look British, Think Yiddish"…
“Drive-in banking was invented so cars could go in and see their real owners”
The first bank drive up window has been credited to the Grand National Bank of St. Louis, MO, in 1930. The November 22, 1959 Family Weekly included a quote by Thomas J. Mullen: "You know why…
“Dropping a penny on the ground feels more littering than losing money”
Pennies are widely regarded as mostly worthless, and many people don't bother to pick them up from the ground. "Is it littering to leave a penny on the ground?" was asked on Twitter…
“Dudes living off their girls government assistance trying to act tough. Calm down John WIC”
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has nothing to do with the American neo-noir action film series and media franchise John Wick, but there are jokes. The…
“Easy money causes hard times”
"The Mythical Merits of Paper Money" is an essay by American author and politician Ron Paul that was published on November 26, 2013. "Paper money is not wealth," Paul wrote.…
“Eat the rich”
"Eat the rich" was a slogan of the counterculture Zippies that became popular at the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida. The slogan promotes a redistribution of…
“Eat well, sleep well” (“Do you want to eat well or sleep well?”)
In 1896, it was reported that Baron Rothschild was asked for advice on financial transactions -- one with a very large rate of interest and another with a smaller rate. Rothschild reportedly said:…
“Economic Pearl Harbor” (Wall Street crisis phrase)
Investor Warren Buffett called the financial crisis of 2008 an "economic Pearl Harbor" on CNBC's Squawk Box on September 24, 2008, and again on PBS's Charlie Rose Show on…
“Economists are paid to worry”
The economy causes worry among both economists and investors. The difference, as the saying goes, is that "economists are paid to worry." "Economists are paid to worry about the…
“Economists do it with models” (“Quants do it with models”)
"Economists do it with models" is one of many professional "do it" jokes that have been put on T-shirts and bumper stickers. "Operations researchers do it with models"…
“Elephants don’t gallop” (investment adage)
"Elephants don't gallop" is an investment adage that Jim Slater (a former investment columnist for London's Sunday Telegraph) made famous some time before 1993. Slater meant…
“Enjoy the party, but dance near the door” (financial adage)
"Enjoy the party, but dance near the door" (or, "enjoy the party, but dance close to the door") means that one should enjoy rising markets ("the party"), but always be…
“Even turkeys fly in a strong wind” (Wall Street adage)
A "turkey" is known as a generally (but not always) flightless bird. A "turkey" is also slang for a "flop" or an "unsuccessful venture." "Even turkeys…
“Every bull market has a copper top”
"Every bull market has a copper top" means that a stock bull market also features a high price for copper. "Every bull market has a copper top" has been cited in print since at…
“Every sunken ship has a chart room”
"Every sunken ship has a chart (room)" means that everyone follows financial charts, some people to their demise. "'Every sunken ship has a chart room' - An angry…