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April 16, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The earth is not overpopulated, the government is”

"Our Earth is not overpopulated, the g0vernment is" (shown on an image) was posted on Instagram by 1776.american.mama on August 8, 2023, and this received over 71,000 likes. "Earth…

February 9, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The earth used to be flat…until they buried yo mama”

A popular "yo mama" insult "fat joke" is: "The earth used to be flat...until they buried yo mama." "Yo mamas so fat, the earth was flat until somebody buried…

April 13, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The Eiffel Tower is the Empire State Building after taxes”

"The Eiffel Tower is the Empire State Building after taxes” was supposedly said by an American during a visit to France in 1950 or 1951. New York's Empire State Building was then the…

May 2, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthMedia/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“The elephant in the room doesn’t disappear just because you censor and ignore it”

To ignore "the elephant in the room" is to consciously or subconsciously avoid a big issue, perhaps in the hope that it will go away. “The elephant in the room doesn’t disappear just…

January 3, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The empire has no clothes”

Entry in progress -- BP Wikipedia: The Emperor's New Clothes"The Emperor's New Clothes" (Danish: Kejserens nye klæder) is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans…

April 1, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The enemy doesn’t have to defeat you. All he has to do is to distract you”

"The enemy doesn’t have to defeat you. All they have to do is distract you" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "If the enemy can't destroy you he'll…

April 1, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The enemy doesn’t have to defeat you. All they have to do is distract you”

"The enemy doesn’t have to defeat you. All they have to do is distract you" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "If the enemy can't destroy you he'll…

December 12, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The evil of two lessers” (voting for “the lesser of two evils”)

An American voter often has to choose between a Democrat candidate and a Republican candidate, neither of whom the voter likes. A vote is cast for "the lesser of two evils" -- the least…

March 28, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The F in communism stands for food”

"The F in communism stands for food" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Of course, there is no letter "F" in the word "communism." The joke/saying means…

April 17, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The facilities in a church should be called amen-ities”

Many hotels and churches have "amenities," and some people have noticed the "amen" in that word. "Amen-ities! Tech services that should be standard at every hotel:…

October 26, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The fastest way for a politician to become an elder statesman is to lose an election”

"EARL'S PEARLS: The fastest way for a politician to become an elder statesman is to lose an election" is a line from the "It Happened Last Night" column by Earl Wilson in…

December 12, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The federal government is an aircraft carrier, not a speedboat”

U.S. President-elect Ronald Reagan wrote in The Wall Street Journal on January 9, 1981: "It will take some time to accomplish the things I have described. Government is an ocean liner, not a…

August 16, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The federal government is organized crime”

"Government is organized crime" is a popular anti-government saying. "Taxation is theft" is a frequent associated saying. "The government is organized crime" (said by…

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

“The fewer things controlled by politicians, the less it matters who controls the politicians”

"The fewer things politicians control, the less it matters who controls the politicians" (or "The fewer things controlled by politicians, the less it matters who controls the…

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

“The fewer things politicians control, the less it matters who controls the politicians”

"The fewer things politicians control, the less it matters who controls the politicians" (or "The fewer things controlled by politicians, the less it matters who controls the…

August 8, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The final Covid variant is called communism”

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic had several variants to the disease. Several people said that the final Covid variant is communism. "yes and it's variant is Communism" was posted…

August 6, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The final variant is communism”

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic had several variants to the disease. Several people said that the final Covid variant is communism. "yes and it's variant is Communism" was posted…

September 30, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The First Amendment gives you freedom of speech. Not freedom to silence others when they offend you”

"The First Amendment gives you freedom of speech. Not freedom to silence others when they offend you" (shown on an image) was posted on Facebook by Turning Point USA on August 8, 2021,…

January 2, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The first casualty of war is truth”

"The first casualty of war is truth" is often credited to the classical Greek playwright Aeschylus (525 BC-456 BC), but there's no evidence that he ever wrote it. The lexicographer…

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

“The First Law of Management: Kickbacks must always exceed bribes”

"Kickbacks must always exceed bribes" has been described as "The First Law of Management" or "The Hidden Truth of Management." John Peers collected the saying in 1978…

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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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