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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…

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

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

"It was supposed to be a fight against the pandemic to protect the people. It became a fight against the people to protect the pandemic" has been said about the COVID-19 (coronavirus)…

August 10, 2015
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It will take an act of Congress” (idiom)

"It will take an act of Congress" is often not meant literally, but is used as an idiom -- for example, "it will take an act of Congress to get him a date." "It will take…

December 16, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s a Bill of Rights, not a Bill of Needs”

"It's the Bill of Rights, not the Bill of Needs" (or "It's a Bill of Rights, not a Bill of Needs") is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying usually…

August 25, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s a child, not a choice”

"It's a child, not a choice" (or "I'm/She's a child, not a choice") is a popular pro-life slogan that has been printed on many gift items, such as bumper stickers…

November 14, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s a free country!”

"It's a free country!" means that the speaker believes that he or she can disagree with another and do something that another disapproves of. The saying has a long history in the…

January 9, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s a great time to walk in a cemetery. It’s guaranteed that everybody is at least 6 feet away”

The 2020 COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic resulted in six feet social distancing requirements. "Six feet" often refers to how deep a person is buried in a cemetery. "This place is…

January 10, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s a legal system, not a justice system”

Entry in progress -- B.P. 4 May 1992, Hartford (CT) Courant, "City rally targets fear as unfounded: Rally targets racial fear in Hartford" by Tom Puleo and Dana Tofig, pg. A1:"Our…

February 24, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s a proven fact that criminals commit less crime after they’ve been shot”

"Statistics show that criminals commit less crime after they've been shot" and "It's a proven fact that criminals commit less crime after they've been shot" are…

March 7, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s better to be pissed off than pissed on”

"It's better to be pissed off than pissed on" (that is, it's better to be angry than to simply take the abuse of others) is a saying that has been printed on many gift items,…

October 1, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“It’s better to know the judge than to know the law”

"It's better to know the judge than to know the law" was credited by at least 1880 to New York attorney James Topham Brady (1815-1869). Brady was experienced in the corrupt Tammany…

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

“It’s called a smart city because if they called it a concentration camp…”

"It's called a smart city because if they called it a 'concentration camp,' you might not want to live there" is a saying that has been printed on several images. A…

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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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