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October 9, 2018
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“The shinbone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room”

People bump into things in dark rooms. "Shin: A device for finding furniture in the dark" is a jocular line that was printed in The Courier-Journal & Times (Louisville, KY) on July…

February 19, 2012
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people”

"The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people" was credited by realty groups to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) in 1983 and later years; the Lincoln attribution was debunked in…

December 23, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“The word ‘homeowner’ has the word ‘meow’ in it. Good luck pronouncing it correctly ever again”

"The word 'homeowner' has the word 'meow' in it. Good luck pronouncing it correctly ever again" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "i just noticed…

January 16, 2025
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There are 2 levels of clean in my house. 1. Not clean. 2. It’s better than it was”

A joke about cleaning the house was posted on X/Twitter by "Late to the party Laura" on May 18, 2022, and received over 2,600 likes: "There are 2 levels of clean in my house. 1. Not…

August 22, 2014
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There are two types of windows—windows that leak and windows that will leak”

Joseph Lstiburek is a forensic engineer; EcoHome magazine called him the "father of building science." Lstiburek wrote in Fine Homebuilding (April/May 2004): "There are only two…

January 12, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There is never a line for the restroom at a waterpark”

It's a common observation that many people urinate in the water while at a water park. "Why is there never a line for the bathroom at the water park?" was posted on Twitter by…

January 12, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There is never a line to the urinal at a water park”

It's a common observation that many people urinate in the water while at a water park. "Why is there never a line for the bathroom at the water park?" was posted on Twitter by…

November 6, 2025
Buildings/Housing/ParksFood/DrinkHotels

“There is no fucking breakfast at any air bnb’s. Shit should be called air b’s”

"Airbnb" has "bnb" (shortened from "bed and breakfast") in its name, but the accommodations do not include breakfast. "I’m curious… Why is there no breakfast…

March 22, 2021
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There is no WiFi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection”

"There is no WiFi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "There is no WiFi in the forest -- but I promise…

February 8, 2023
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There is nothing like the sound of a child’s laughter to remind you that your apartment is haunted”

A child's laughter is usually a pleasant sound, but sometimes it's not so pleasant. A joke was posted on Twitter by Howard Mittelmark on February 22, 2015: "There is nothing like the…

February 8, 2023
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There is nothing like the sound of a child’s laughter to remind you that your house is haunted”

A child's laughter is usually a pleasant sound, but sometimes it's not so pleasant. A joke was posted on Twitter by Howard Mittelmark on February 22, 2015: "There is nothing like the…

August 24, 2021
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There should be a Godzillow app where you can buy houses Godzilla has smashed for really cheap”

Godzilla is a famous fictional monster in Japanese films who often destroys houses. Zillow is an American online real estate marketplace company. There is no "Godzillow," but there are…

January 16, 2025
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There’s 3 levels of clean in my house. 1. Not clean. 2. Better than it was. 3. The illusion of clean”

A joke about cleaning the house was posted on X/Twitter by "Late to the party Laura" on May 18, 2022, and received over 2,600 likes: "There are 2 levels of clean in my house. 1. Not…

September 27, 2013
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There’s a $20 fee to leave your apartment” (joke)

Entry in progress -- B.P. Audacity Oven25 THINGS I’VE LEARNED SINCE MOVING TO NYCMarch 8, 2013 · by Eric Baker(...)4. There is a strange magic that evaporates anywhere from $20 to $40 from your…

July 22, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There’s a woman in the park who sells batteries. She sells C cells by the seesaw”

"She sells sea shells by the sea shore" is a tongue-twister that has been cited in print since at least 1904. There are several puns on this famous line, such as the woman who sells…

May 12, 2019
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There’s no place like home, except grandma’s”

"There's no place like home, except grandma's" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "There’s no place like home!” is one of the most famous of all American…

August 20, 2013
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There’s no place like home” (“Home, Sweet Home”)

"There's no place like home!" is one of the most famous of all American expressions. John Howard Payne (1791-1852) wrote these lyrics for "Home, Sweet Home" in the opera…

December 14, 2025
Buildings/Housing/ParksTime/Weather

“There’s one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s”

"There's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor's" is a saying that has been

March 9, 2023
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“There’s nothing more mean spirited than the average ghost”

"The average ghost is mean spirited" was posted on the website PunoftheDay.com on October 29, 2010. "There’s nothing more mean spirited than the average ghost" was posted on…

July 18, 2024
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“They say ‘don’t try this at home’ so I’m coming over to your house to try it”

"They say 'don't try this at home' so I'm coming over to your house to try it" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. Of course, "don't…

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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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