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December 20, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The word ‘politics’ is derived from ‘poly’ meaning ‘many’ and ‘ticks’ meaning ‘parasites’”

“The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly' meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks' meaning 'blood sucking parasites'” is a humorous…

October 30, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The working class pay taxes. The middle class pay accountants. The upper class pay politicians”

"Poor people pay taxes, rich people pay accountants, very rich people pay politicians" was posted on Twitter by "I am Ann" on April 29, 2019. There are many variations of this…

March 25, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“The World Health Organization has said dogs are immune to COVID-19. WHO let the dogs out”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. A joke on the title of the song "Who Let the Dogs Out"…

July 11, 2026
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion”

"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying means that your example (your actions) is more important that your…

November 10, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The world is full of apathy, but I don’t care”

"The world is full of apathy, but I don't care" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on bumper stickers. "The world's full of apathy, but I don't…

May 3, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The world is now Vegas. Everybody’s losing money, it’s acceptable to drink at all hours…”

Did the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic turn the world into Las Vegas? "The world is now Vegas. Everybody's losing money, it's acceptable to drink at all hours, and no one has any…

May 3, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The world is now Vegas. Everyone is losing money, it’s acceptable to drink at all hours…”

Did the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic turn the world into Las Vegas? "The world is now Vegas. Everybody's losing money, it's acceptable to drink at all hours, and no one has any…

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

“The world is run by those who show up”

Filmmaker Woody Allen said in 1977: "Showing up is 80 percent of life." "The world is run by those who show up" has been a slogan of many political activists, recorded in print…

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

“The world owes me a living”

"The world owes me a living" is the old line that taxpayers seemingly heard whenever a person accepted a government handout. "The world owe me a living" is cited in print from…

March 29, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The world’s not that bad. It’s your government that sucks”

"The world's not that bad. It's your government that sucks" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The message was used in street art in Dawlish, UK, by artist NME in…

June 7, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The worst assumption a person could ever make is the government would never do that to us”

"The worst assumption people ever make: Our government would never do that to us" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "The worst assumption an American can make is…

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

“The worst assumption people ever make: Our government would never do that to us”

"The worst assumption people ever make: Our government would never do that to us" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "The worst assumption an American can make is…

July 13, 2026
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“The year I was born getting a little far on that little scrolly thing”

People are often required to scroll down for their birth year. For old people, it can be a lot of scrolling. "You know you're getting old when you have to scroll down to find your birth…

June 13, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Them: ‘Mandatory buy back’ Me: How can you buy back something that never belonged to you?”

A government "gun buyback program" is a misnomer, since the government is buying the guns of private citizens and not "buying them back." "How can you 'buy back'…

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

“Them: Show me proof.” / “Me: *Sends proof*” / “Them: You’re a conspiracy theorist!”

"Them: Show me proof." / "Me: *Sends proof*" / "Them (with eyes covered, not looking at the proof): You're a conspiracy theorist!" is a meme that has been printed…

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

“There are 1,013,913 words in the English language, but I could never put any of them together…”

"There are approximately 1,010,300 words in the English language, but I could never string enough words to properly express how much I want to hit you with a chair" has been printed on…

June 28, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“There are 10 genders. Because gender is binary”

Are there just two genders -- male and female -- or are there more? "There’s only 10 genders. Those who’s gender is binary, and those who’s gender isn’t" was posted on Twitter on…

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

“There are 3 useless things in this world—a dull knife, an unloaded gun & 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…

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

“There are approximately 1,010,300 words in the English language, but I could never string enough..”

"There are approximately 1,010,300 words in the English language, but I could never string enough words to properly express how much I want to hit you with a chair" has been printed on…

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

“There are but two parties now, traitors and patriots”

"There are but two parties now: traitors and patriots" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "There can be but two parties -- patriots and traitors" (datelined from…

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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.

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