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October 22, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

‘Merikkka (America + KKK)

"'Merikkka" or "'MeriKKKa" (America + Ku Klux Klan/KKK is simply a form of the popular 1970s' term "Amerikkka." "'Merikkka" has been…

March 2, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Dress for the job that you want’ is bad advice for aspiring police officers”

“Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have” is an employment adage. However, if one wants to become a police officer, then impersonating a police officer is a criminal offense.…

October 13, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Follow the money’ is much wiser advice than ‘follow the science’”

"Follow the money" is an old saying, used in politics and in business. "Follow the science" became a popular catchphrase during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Many people…

May 24, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘For the greater good’ almost always means ‘this will be bad for you’”

Governments often ask citizens to make individual sacrifices "for the greater good." American libertarian political activist, entrepreneur, and podcaster Spike Cohen wrote on X/Twitter on…

October 27, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Gun control’ is the government using guns to control you”

What does "gun control" mean? "'GUN CONTROL' is the GOVERNMENT using GUNS to control YOU" (shown on an image) was posted on X/Twitter by Edgar Friendly ⬛️🟨 on…

April 10, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘I can’t fix my life. But I can fix the world,’ said the socialist”

Socialists (and socialism) have been criticized for not being successful, but for pushing that failure on the world. A saying was posted on Twitter by Alice Smith on April 9, 2021: "'I…

August 26, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘I just caught a terrorist!’ said no TSA agent ever”

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to improve airport security procedures. Many people believe that the TSA does nothing and is mostly…

June 9, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘I’m offended’ is the debate equivalent of flipping over the board game when you start losing”

"'I'm offended' is the debate equivalent of flipping over the board game when you start losing" is a saying that has been printed on several images. That is, "I'm…

August 11, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Moderate Republican’—that’s kind of like having a gun rack on a Volvo”

"'Moderate Republican' -- that's kind of like having a gun rack on a Volvo" (also, "'Compassionate Conservative -- that's kind of like having a gun rack on a…

August 13, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Need’ now means wanting someone else’s money; ‘greed’ means keeping your own”

AMerican journalist and writer Joe Sobran (1946-2010) wrote in The Economics of Liberty (1990); In the current political vocabulary, 'need' means wanting to get someone else's money.…

November 7, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Righty tighty, lefty loosey’ isn’t a statement about females and politics”

"Righty tighty, lefty loosey" is a popular meme about how to screw or unscrew objects. Some have used "righty tighty" to describe politically conservative people and "lefty…

June 16, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Senator’ is an anagram for ‘treason’”

An anagram of the word "senator" is the word "treason." This anagram has been noted since at least 1951, when it was printed in the New Statesman and Nation. "An anagram…

April 18, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Social distancing’ is an anagram for ‘dissociating clan’”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic led to "social distancing." An anagram of "social distancing" is "dissociating clan." "Social distancing=Dissociating…

January 26, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Stay home, save lives’ should be America’s foreign policy”

"Stay home, save lives" is a slogan that was used during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Some people believed that the slogan should also apply to America's foreign policy.…

April 10, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthWork/Businesses

“‘Trust the science’ has never been anything other than a marketing term that means shut up and obey”

"'Trust the science' has never been anything other than a marketing term that means shut up and obey" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The term "trust the…

February 1, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthWork/Businesses

“‘Trust the Science’ is a euphemism for ‘Trust the System’”

"'Trust the Science' is (now) a euphemism for 'Trust the System'" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying started during the COVID-19(coronavirus)…

April 10, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthWork/Businesses

“‘Trust the Science’ is now a euphemism for ‘Trust the System’”

"'Trust the Science' is (now) a euphemism for 'Trust the System'" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying started during the COVID-19(coronavirus)…

November 12, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘We’re not forcing you,’ they say. ‘We’re just taking away everything you need until you consent’”

"Not forcing you, just taking away everything until you consent" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying usually refers to government persuasion to get people to take…

March 19, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“(I’ll give you my gun when you take it) From my cold, dead hands”

"I will give up my gun when they pry my cold, dead fingers from around it" is a bumper sticker slogan supporting gun rights and dating from at least March 1972. "I'll give up my…

June 2, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“(Liar, liar) Pants on fire”

The St. Petersburg (FL) Times originated in 2007 a website, Politifact.com, to check political facts. Statements are judged on a "Truth-O-Meter" with grades of True, Mostly True, Half…

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About the Website and Editor

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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