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

March 4, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Show me a time in history where rendering the good people helpless made the bad people harmless”

“Making good people helpless won’t make bad people harmless” is a pro-gun saying from the early 2000s. "Show me a time in history where rendering the good people helpless made the bad…

September 10, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value”

United States Senator Joe Biden said on the presidential campaign trail in 2007: "As my Dad used to say, 'Do not tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I will tell you what you…

October 15, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”

"Show me your friends and I will tell you what you are" is cited in print from at least 1828 and is said to be a Spanish proverb. "Show me your friends and I'll show you your…

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

“Show your enemy no mercy. Misgender them at every opportunity.—Sun Tzu, ‘The Art of War’”

"Show your enemy no mercy. Misgender him/them at every opportunity. -- Sun Tzu, 'The Art of War'" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. Chinese military…

October 9, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Shut the government down forever. We hate you evil fucks”

"SHUT THE GOVERNMENT DOWN FOREVER. WE HATE YOU EVIL FUCKS" (shown on a sign) is an anti-government saying that was posted on X/Twitter by Agorist Nexus (Brandon) on October 1, 2025, and…

June 4, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Shut up and sing/dance/act” (entertainers taking political positions)

"Shut up and dance!" or "Shut up and sing!" has been said to many entertainers -- simple advice from a director or the audience to do what the entertainer does best.…

April 4, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Sick until proven healthy is no less tyrannical than guilty until proven innocent”

"Sick until proven healthy" has been used during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and has been compared to "guilty until proven innocent" (the opposite of "innocent…

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

“Sign in haste, repent at leisure”

Entry in progress -- B.P."Marry in haste and repent at leisure" is a proverb that has been cited in print since at least 1568. Wiktionary: Marry in haste, repent at leisureProverbmarry in…

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

“Signs don’t vote”

"Yard/Lawn signs don't vote" is a popular political adage. However, many politicians also believe that a large show of support, in the form of lawn signs, is usually beneficial.…

October 14, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Silence is golden; duct tape is silver”

"Speech is silver; silence is golden" is an old proverb that means that it's often better to say nothing at all. "Silence is golden, (but) duct tape is silver" is a jocular…

March 28, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Since all the public libraries are closed, I’m checking you out instead” (pickup line)

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic caused many libraries to close. A pickup line joke was posted on Twitter by Jill in Virusland on March 19, 2020: "'Since all the public libraries are…

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

“Since everyone’s now washing their hands, we’ll be working on shapes & colors next week”

The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak came with many public announcements to wash hands. Many people had learned this in kindergarten (at the latest). "Since everyone is now washing their hands…

June 6, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Since nobody reads the 5,000 page bills. let’s slip in ‘term limits’”

"Since nobody reads the 5,000 page bills. let's slip in 'term limits'" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. If legislators cannot read 5,000-page bills…

June 6, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Since nobody reads the 5,592 page bills, let’s slip in ‘term limits’”

"Since nobody reads the 5,000 page bills. let's slip in 'term limits'" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. If legislators cannot read 5,000-page bills…

May 17, 2024
Food/DrinkGovernment/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Since we can’t use plastic straws anymore, I’ve just been choking turtles with my bare hands”

Plastic straws and plastic beer rings have been banned in some places because they pollute the sea and choke the fish and turtles. "since we can't use those beer rings anymore i've…

May 18, 2024
Food/DrinkGovernment/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Since we can’t use those beer rings anymore, I’ve been choking turtles with my bare hands”

Plastic straws and plastic beer rings have been banned in some places because they pollute the sea and choke the fish and turtles. "since we can't use those beer rings anymore i've…

March 20, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Since we’re all in quarantine, I guess we’ll be making only inside jokes from now on”

The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak caused some quarantines. "All jokes are inside jokes now that we're on quarantine" was posted on Twitter by aubs on March 16, 2020. "All jokes…

April 14, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Single man with Purell and Lysol seeking single woman with toilet paper for good clean fun”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic made for some jocular personal ads. "Single woman with Lysol and sanitizer seeking single man with toilet paper for some good clean fun" was posted on…

April 13, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic made for some jocular personal ads. "Single woman with Lysol and sanitizer seeking single man with toilet paper for some good clean fun" was posted on…

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

“Six bores and a sadist” (political committee composition)

New York (NY) Times columnist Russell Baker (1925-2019) wrote on August 6, 1968, about the Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida: "MIAMI BEACH, August 5. -- Every political…

First
Previous
142 143 144 145 146
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.