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March 24, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“What’s the opposite of isolate?”/“I so early.”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic caused many people to self-isolate. "Dad: what is the opposite word for isolate Me: doesn’t answer for 5mins Dad: you so early" was posted on Twitter…

March 24, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“What’s the opposite of isolate?”/“You so early.”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic caused many people to self-isolate. "Dad: what is the opposite word for isolate Me: doesn’t answer for 5mins Dad: you so early" was posted on Twitter…

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

“What’s the Shakespearean way to eliminate bird flu?”/“Murder most fowl.”

"Murder most foul, as in the best it is / But this most foul, strange and unnatural" is a line from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. This shouldn't be confused with…

November 11, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Whatever you allow the government to do to others it will eventually do to you”

"Whatever you allow the government to do to others it will eventually do to you" is a saying that has been printed on several images. For example, if a government labels a person…

January 21, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When a bicycle thief goes to jail, it is because he was peddling stolen goods”

"Peddling" is not the same as "pedaling," but there are jokes. "Did you hear about the bicycle thief? He was caught peddling stolen goods!" was posted on Facebook by…

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

“When a billionaire dies, who inherits their congressmen?”

"When a billionaire dies, who inherits their senators?" is a political joke that has been printed on many images. The "joke" is that money can buy political influence.…

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

“When a billionaire dies, who inherits their politicians?”

"When a billionaire dies, who inherits their senators?" is a political joke that has been printed on many images. The "joke" is that money can buy political influence.…

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

“When a billionaire dies, who inherits their senators?”

"When a billionaire dies, who inherits their senators?" is a political joke that has been printed on many images. The "joke" is that money can buy political influence.…

February 18, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus”

Entry in progress -- BP Twitter🇺🇸🟠 Tom 🟠🇺🇸 (@Recon_0321 GETTR)@TRCreamer'When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace becomes a…

November 7, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When a diplomat says yes, he means perhaps…”

A popular joke involves a lady and a diplomat. The lady can't say "yes" and the diplomat can't say "no." The joke is from the Berliner Tageblatt and has been cited in…

August 15, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When a politician does get an idea he usually gets it wrong”

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Don MarquisDonald Robert Perry Marquis (/ˈmɑːrkwɪs/ mar-kwis; July 29, 1878 in Walnut, Illinois – December 29, 1937 in New York City) was a humorist,…

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

“When all else fails, vote from the rooftops”

"When all else fails, vote from the rooftops" is a saying that has been printed on many images, usually with a picture of a rifle. A person is not voting in a voting booth, but is…

September 28, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When all is said and done, more is said than done”

"When/After all is said and done, more is said than done" has been credited to football coach Lou Holtz (born 1937), but the expression was known before he was born. The saying is often…

June 2, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When any nation mistrusts its citizens with guns it is sending a clear message”

George Washington (1732-1799) is often credited with saying: "When a nation mistrusts its citizens with guns it is it sending a clear message. It no longer trusts its citizens because such a…

September 13, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When communists have sex, do they seize the means of reproduction?”

Communists usually seek to control the "means of production," but there are "reproduction" jokes. "Sex communists, seizing the means of reproduction" was posted on…

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

“When did innocent until proven guilty become sick until proven healthy?”

"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…

December 20, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need”

"When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying is almost always credited as…

January 19, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When does a lawyer make coffee?”/“When he has sufficient grounds.”

A coffee riddle has been cited in print since at least 1851: Q: When has a man a right to scold his wife about his coffee?A: When he has sufficient grounds. This was made into a lawyer joke by at…

May 24, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”

"When (two) elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers" is an East African proverb, cited in English since at least the 1910s. In the 1960s, Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyatta (1894-1978) and…

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

“When enough people understand reality, tyrants can literally be ignored out of existence”

"When enough people understand reality, tyrants can literally be ignored out of existence. They can't ever be voted out of existence" is a saying that has been printed on several…

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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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