The Big Apple
About Archives Categories Index Search
About Archives Categories Index Search

April 14, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A man walks into a Soviet shop and asks, ‘You don’t have any meat?’” (scarcity joke)

A joke is told about food shortages in the Soviet Union. A person walks into a meat shop and says, "I suppose you don't have any fish?" A person who works there corrects him and…

April 28, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A man without a government is like a fish without a bicycle”

"A man without a government is like a fish without a bicycle" is a saying that has been printed on many images, usually credited to Alvaro Koplovich. "A woman without a man is like a…

November 7, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A man without a government is like a lion without a circus”

"A man without a government is like a lion without a circus" is a saying that has been printed on an image. "A man without a #government is like a lion without a circus.…

January 23, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A Marine on duty has no friends” (Marine Corps proverb)

"A Marine on duty has no friends" is a proverb of the United States Marine Corps, cited in print since at least 1973. The saying means that a Marine has a duty to serve the country, even…

January 1, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A Marxist is someone who loves humanity in groups of one million or more”

Marxists often talk about groups, not individuals. There's a joke: "A Marxist is someone who loves humanity in groups of one million or more." The political joke has been cited in…

August 20, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A mask is not a political statement. It’s an IQ test”

"Covid-19. It started as a virus and has mutated into an IQ test" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Many people believed that a person wearing a face mask (and following…

December 21, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A meeting is no substitute for progress”

"A meeting is no substitute for progress" has been cited in print since at least 1968. A company president (this might have once been true or it might have been a joke) used the…

May 11, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A mile wide and an inch deep”

The Platte River in the Midwestern United States was named after the French word "platte" (meaning "flat"). In April 1889, humorist Edgar Wilson "Bill" Nye (1850-1896)…

October 1, 2019
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A million kids want to clean up earth. A million parents want them to start with their rooms”

"A million kids want to clean up the Earth. A million parents would love it if it started with their bedroom.-Paul L." was posted on Facebook by Paul Lanhart on September 21. 2019. The…

October 1, 2019
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A million kids want to clean up the Earth. A million parents want it started with their bedrooms”

"A million kids want to clean up the Earth. A million parents would love it if it started with their bedroom.-Paul L." was posted on Facebook by Paul Lanhart on September 21. 2019. The…

November 26, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A motion to adjourn is always in order”

A motion to adjourn is almost always in order, with an exception being when a vote is in progress. The motion is not debatable and is not subject to amendment. "The motion to adjourn is always…

October 3, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A mugger robs a congressman” (joke)

A popular political joke has a mugger demand of a well-dressed man, "Give me your money!" The man protests, "You can't do this! I'm a U.S. Congressman!" "In that…

February 29, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A narcissist wants the authority of a king while having the accountability of a toddler”

"A narcissist wants the authority of a king while having the accountability of a toddler" is a saying that has been printed on many images. That is to say, a narcissist wants total…

May 18, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves”

"A nation/society of sheep will beget a government of wolves" is often credited to American broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow (1909-1965). The saying means that the electorate cannot…

February 6, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A nation of sheep”

"Nation of sheep, ruled by wolves, owned by pigs" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "To survive in a nation of sheep, ruled by wolves, owned by pigs, you must become…

January 25, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A nation owned by weapons manufacturers will never know peace”

James Rozoff Author (the author James Rozoff) posted this on Twitter on May 5, 2019, and again on Twitter on December 30, 2019: "A nation run by bankers will never be out of debt.A nation…

January 24, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A nation run by bankers will never be out of debt”

James Rozoff Author (the author James Rozoff) posted this on Twitter on May 5, 2019, and again on Twitter on December 30, 2019: "A nation run by bankers will never be out of debt.A nation…

January 25, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A nation that allows a small segment of its citizens to write the laws will never know justice”

James Rozoff Author (the author James Rozoff) posted this on Twitter on May 5, 2019, and again on Twitter on December 30, 2019: "A nation run by bankers will never be out of debt.A nation…

April 29, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A nation that cannot control its borders can’t control its destiny”

U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) is often credited for having said at some time in the 1980s, "A nation that cannot control its borders isn't really a nation." Reagain said…

December 5, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“A neoconservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality”

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikiquote: Irving KristolIrving Kristol (born 22 January 1920 - 18 September 2009) was an American columnist, journalist, and writer who was dubbed the "godfather of…

First
Previous
6 7 8 9 10
Next
Last

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.

Read more About the Website and Editor
About
Privacy Policy
RSS

© 2026 Barry Popik. All rights reserved.