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November 30, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system cannot be fixed by the system”

"The system cannot be fixed by the system" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "The system" means the political system, the government. Writing to an elected…

February 9, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system didn’t fail. The system worked. That’s the problem”

"The system didn't fail. The system worked. That's the problem" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "Yes, the system worked. THAT'S THE PROBLEM"…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It was built that way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It was built this way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It was designed that way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It was designed this way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It was made that way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It was made this way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

September 22, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system isn’t broken. It’s fixed”

"The system isn't broken. It's fixed" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "The system" usually refers to the political system and the monetary system,…

March 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The system was never broken. It was built this way”

"The system isn't broken. It was made this way" (or "The system was never broken. It was built this way" is a saying that has been printed on many images. “The system”…

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

“The system will have you thinking ‘legal’ means ‘right’, but remember slavery was legal”

Many laws are bad, written by rich and powerful interests. "The system got y'all thinking 'legal' means 'right.' Reminder: Slavery was 'legal'" is a…

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

“The system works because you work”

"The system works because you work" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying is shown on an image on Istari Lasterfahrer – The System Works Because Me Work (July…

April 15, 2015
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The tax code is longer than the Bible, but without the good news”

The U.S. tax code is long. "The whole tax code, students say, is longer than the Bible, the Talmud and the Koran combined," Richard Strout wrote in the Christian Science Monitor in 1984.…

April 14, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The taxpayers are sending congressmen on expensive trips abroad. It might be worth it except they keep coming back”

"The taxpayers are sending congressmen on expensive trips abroad. It might be worth it except they keep coming back" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. The saying…

October 3, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The taxpayers are sending congressmen on expensive trips abroad” (joke)

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Will RogersWilliam Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social…

July 3, 2024
Food/DrinkGovernment/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The term ‘champagne socialist’ implies the existence of vodka fascist”

The term "champagne socialist" has inspired other similar terms. "Better a champagne socialist than a buckfast capitalist" was posted on X/Twitter by Kenny from the Block on…

June 24, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The thought of going back to life without a mask scares me…” (joke)

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic caused many people to wear face masks. "The thought of going back to life without a mask scares me... I've been mouthing 'fuck off' to people…

August 27, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The three most useless things in America—a dull knife an unloaded gun, and liberals”

"There are 3 useless things in this world -- a dull knife, an unloaded gun & liberals" is a political saying that has been printed on many images. "There's two useless…

March 17, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The toilet paper ‘crisis’ confirms that we have more assholes than we thought”

The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak led to panic buying of toilet paper. "Based on the lack of toilet paper in stores, I can only conclude there are a lot more assholes than we realized"…

December 6, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The trouble with political jokes is that they get elected to office”

"The trouble with political jokes is that they get elected to office" is a quote frequently attributed to Henry Cate VII, but he appears simply to be a 1990s contributor to rec.humor. The…

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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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