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July 2, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“All our guests bring happiness. Some by coming, others by going”

"All our guests/visitors bring happiness. Some by coming, others by going" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “EDWARD P. LYNCH, secretary of the ’Let’s Have Better…

July 2, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“All our visitors bring happiness. Some by coming, others by going”

"All our guests/visitors bring happiness. Some by coming, others by going" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “EDWARD P. LYNCH, secretary of the ’Let’s Have Better…

April 24, 2025
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Aloe Vera is cockney for Hello, Vera”

"Aloe vera" (a plant species) can sound like "Hello, Vera" (or "Allo, Vera"), and there are jokes. "hehehe... english speaking people saying Aloë Vera... sounds…

April 24, 2025
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Aloe Vera is how the French greet Vera”

"Aloe vera" (a plant species) can sound like "Hello, Vera" (or "Allo, Vera"), and there are jokes. "hehehe... english speaking people saying Aloë Vera... sounds…

January 19, 2026
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Always answer the door with your coat on. If it’s someone you like, you can tell them you just got home….”

"Always answer the door with your coat on. If it's someone you like, you can tell them you just got home. If it's someone you don't like, you can tell them you were just…

January 19, 2026
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Always put on a coat before you answer the door. If you’re happy to see them, tell them you’ve just gotten home…”

"Always answer the door with your coat on. If it's someone you like, you can tell them you just got home. If it's someone you don't like, you can tell them you were just…

July 14, 2017
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Americans pay for gym memberships and for people to mow their lawns”

Mowing a lawn is exercise, so who needs a gym membership? "Who needs a gym membership? Just get out & creatively push mow your yd! Jog, lunge, on ur toes.. Smells great & good 4…

June 30, 2016
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Americans prefer houses with basements. They’re best cellars”

Houses with cellars are "best sellers," according to the pun. "I once read a book on how to remodel my basement. I expected a good read since it made the Best Cellars list" was…

May 1, 2023
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“An air mattress is great when you want to sleep on the floor, but not right away”

Some people find that sleeping on an air mattress is not much better than sleeping on the floor. This was posted on Twitter by cap’n watsisname on July 25, 2021, and received about 75,000 likes:…

December 5, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“An armed man ran into a real estate agency and shouted, ‘Nobody move!’”

A bank robber might say, "Nobody move!" A real estate office, however, depends on people moving (from their homes). "'Okay, nobody move!' - the world's worst real…

May 10, 2025
Buildings/Housing/ParksWork/Businesses

“An old timer once told me, ‘Make sure your work boots and your bed are comfortable because that’s all you’ll ever be in’”

"Make sure your work boots and your bed are comfortable because that’s all you’ll ever be in" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Get yourself a good pair of work…

January 20, 2026
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“And to my children, I leave my filing cabinet full of warranties for appliances we no longer own”

Many people have many warranties on appliances -- and the warranties are kept even after the appliances are gone. This joke (a mock will) was posted on Facebook by Happy Organized Life on November…

July 17, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Any room is a panic room if you have lost your phone in it”

"Any room is a panic room if you have lost your phone in it" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Any room is a panic room, if you've lost your phone in it"…

March 3, 2026
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Anyone in NYC want to sublet my room while I’m at work (must be out of there by the time I get back, no weekends)”

New York City housing is expensive. Maybe an apartment can be sublet when the owner isn't using it? This was posted on X/Twitter by matt on March 3, 2026, and it received over 10,000 likes:…

June 28, 2022
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Apartment complex implies the existence of a togetherment simple”

Many people have suggested that "apartments" should really be called "togetherments." "Inaccurate Euphemisms. Why are lodging to let almost always advertised not as…

June 27, 2022
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Apartments should be called togetherments”

Many people have suggested that "apartments" should really be called "togetherments." "Inaccurate Euphemisms. Why are lodging to let almost always advertised not as…

March 10, 2013
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Architects cover their mistakes with ivy”

“Surgeons can bury their mistakes, but we architects have to cover ours with ivy" is usually credited to architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). Wright gave a 1931 Art Institute of Chicago…

January 19, 2026
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Are they called ‘throw pillows’ because their sole purpose is to be thrown off the bed before you go to sleep?”

A "throw pillow" is a pillow used mostly just for decoration, added to a couch or a bed. They are not designed specifically to be thrown, but there are jokes. Many people do not like…

June 15, 2026
Buildings/Housing/ParksFood/DrinkGovernment/Law/Military/Religion /HealthRestaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food StoresTransportation

“As long as you don’t need gas or groceries or affordable housing and medical care, things aren’t so bad”

Inflation shows most noticeably in food prices and gas prices. A joke is that if you don't need food or gas, you're okay. "As long as you don’t need gas, groceries or retirement…

March 17, 2017
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way”

"As you slide down the ban(n)ister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on many images. "A toast to the bride and…

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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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