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March 6, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible”

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: George WashingtonGeorge Washington (February 22, 1732 [O.S. February 11, 1731]– December 14, 1799) served as the first President of the United States from…

August 9, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission”

"Always remember that it's much easier to apologize than to get permission," said Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992) in December 1982. "It's easier to ask forgiveness…

February 24, 2025
Banking/Finance/InsuranceGovernment/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking”

"It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking" is a saying that has been printed on many images. American author, activist, and…

October 6, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is now safe to shut down your government”

"It is now safe to shut down your government" (a joke on "It is now safe to turn off your computer") is a jocular saying that has been printed on an image. The saying was posted…

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

“It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government”

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government" (or "The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government") is a quote that has…

January 25, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority”

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) is sometimes credited with the saying: "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority." Franklin never said it. The quotation appears…

May 25, 2015
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press”

"It is the soldier" is the start of several lines that are frequently recited on Memorial Day. The authorship is disputed. A letter to the St, Petersburg (FL) Times in 1991 by Paul G.…

March 12, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It is time for many people to be arrested suddenly”

"It is time for many people to be arrested suddenly" (or "It's time for many people to be arrested suddenly") is a saying that has been printed on many images. The COVID-19…

December 27, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It isn’t black vs white. It isn’t left vs right. It isn’t red vs blue. It’s State vs you”

"It's not red versus blue. It's the state versus you" (or "It's not red vs. blue. It's the state vs. you") is an anti-government saying. The saying means…

March 4, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It matters not, to free men, what tyrants write on paper”

"It matters not, to free men, what tyrants write on paper" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is unknown. "It matters not, to free men, what tyrants write…

September 16, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal”

Henry Kissinger said in November 1968, after Richard Nixon was elected U.S. president but before he took office: "Nixon should be told that it is probably an objective of Clifford to depose…

November 24, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It never occurs to politicians that Lincoln is worth imitating as well as quoting”

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) is one of the most-quoted of American presidents. "It never occurs to politicians that Lincoln is worth imitating as well as quoting" is a quip that dates to…

October 10, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It seems like DEI really stands for Division Exclusion Inequality”

"Division, Exclusion and Inequality" (a backronym or back acronym of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI) has been printed on many images. The backronym reflects a belief that DEI…

November 22, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It should be illegal for you to choose whether you leave your house because you could harm me…”

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some lockdowns. Many people questioned the logic of lockdowns. "It should be illegal for you to choose whether you leave your house because you could…

April 6, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It started with a bat, went quickly to toilet paper… We’ve all gone bat, shit, crazy”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, according to one theory, began when someone in China ate a bat. In the United States, there was panic buying of toilet paper. "It started with a bat, went…

March 2, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthWork/Businesses

“It takes an extraordinary level of naïveté to believe that a small group of billionaires is tirelessly working to protect the interests of the working class”

"YOU ELECTED A BILLIONAIRE THAT IS APPOINTING OTHER BILLIONAIRES TO FIX THE SYSTEM THAT MADE THEM BILLIONAIRES? YOU'RE A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID AREN'T YOU?" (shown on an image)…

July 27, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone”

"It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The quote was said by entrepreneur Hans Fróði Hansen in March…

April 26, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthMusic/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“It turns out that Michael Jackson’s moonwalk was faked on a sound stage in Burbank, California”

Moon landing conspiracy theories have been popular, and there have been jokes that Michael Jackson's famous "Moonwalk" dance was also faked. "RT @stephanathome: I believe…

January 8, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It was so cold in Washington that I saw a politician with his hands in his own pockets”

"It's so cold I saw a lawyer/politician with his hands in his own pockets!" is a joke that's frequently credited to comedians Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Fred Allen…

March 15, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It was supposed to be a battle against the pandemic to protect the people…”

"It was supposed to be a battle against the pandemic to protect the people. It became a battle against the people to protect the pandemic" is a saying that has been printed on several…

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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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