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October 13, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Between pigeons and politicians, it’s hard to keep the courthouse clean”

"Between pigeons and politicians, it's hard to keep the courthouse clean" is a jocular one-line saying. "Two reasons it is difficult to keep a courthouse clean" pigeons and…

April 17, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Big government is trickle-down economics”

"Big government is trickle-down economics" is a largely satirical saying and an indictment of big government. It means that big government gets the tax money, and little is "trickled…

April 10, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Big Pharma is your dealer, not your healer”

"Big Pharma is your dealer, not your healer" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying means that Big Pharma hooks people on drugs for profit, and does not cure them.…

January 23, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Big Sibling is watching you”

"Big Brother is watching you" is a famous saying from George Orwell's dystopian 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. However, some might possibly find "brother" to be…

January 26, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Biologists are predicting a decline in male pregnancies due to a political climate change”

"Biologists are predicting a decline in male pregnancies due to a political climate change..." is a political joke that was posted on Facebook by Phillip Mendicio on January 21, 2025. The…

January 1, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Birthplace:Earth Race:Human Politics:Freedom Religion:Love”

"Birthplace:Earth Race:Human Politics:Freedom Religion:Love" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying has been cited in print since at least June 2016 and is of…

July 14, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Black and proud” (“I’m black and I’m proud”)

"Say It Loud -- I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968), a funk song written and performed by James Brown (1933-2006), popularized the saying "black and proud." "I'm…

August 11, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Blame America first”

"Blame America first" was popularized by Jeane Kirkpatrick (1926-2006), U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in a speech before the August 1984 Republican National Convention at Dallas.…

December 28, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt”

"Blessed are the meek, foor they shall inherit the earth" is the Second Beatitude in the Gospel of St. Matthew, in the New Testament. Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover (1874-1964)…

April 17, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Blood, toil, tears and sweat” (“Blood, sweat and tears”)

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Blood, toil, tears, and sweatThe famous phrase Blood, toil, tears and sweat was originally used by Theodore Roosevelt in an address to the Naval War College on…

November 12, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Boisterous Sea of Liberty” (“Tempestuous Sea of Liberty”)

"Boisterous sea of liberty" and "tempestuous sea of liberty" both are from letters by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). In an April 24, 1796 letter to Philip Mazzei (1730-1816),…

July 3, 2019
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Bold stripes, bright stars, brave hearts”

"Bold stripes, bright stars, brave hearts" is a patriotic saying that has been printed on many images. "Bold stripes, bright stars, brave hearts. #FourthOfJuly…

June 26, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Bomb into the Stone Age” (total destruction)

To bomb a military enemy "back into the Stone Age" is to create total destruction. (The Stone Age was a primitive civilization.) Ever since atomic bombs were used in warfare in 1945,…

May 27, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Borders, language, culture”

"Borders, language, (and) culture" is the catchphrase of conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage. Savage believes that a nation is defined by these three things. "Borders,…

September 22, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Born Free, Taxed to Death”

"Born Free, (But) Taxed to Death" is a common anti-tax slogan, found on T-shirts and bumper stickers. The saying has been cited in print from at least 1974 and has been popular in…

October 18, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Born, raised and protected by God, guns, guts & glory”

"Born, raised and protected by God, guns, guts & glory" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "god, guns, guts and glory .sig snipped" was posted on the…

October 17, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Both the Democrat and the Republican are running for president of Ohio”

The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates ignore states where the election is not in question and spend almost all of their time in contested or "battleground" states. The…

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

“Boy, did I call it or what?—George Orwell”

"Boy, did I call it or what? -- George Orwell" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. English author George Orwell (1903-1950) didn't actually say this, but…

December 26, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Brave enough to inject unknown substances into the body, but afraid to breathe air”

"Brave enough to inject unknown substances into the body but afraid tp breathe air" (people wearing face masks are shown in an image) is a saying that has been printed on many images. The…

April 19, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Bro even sleeping gettin boring now”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in many people being locked down at home. Many of these people were bored. "i cannot believe i’m saying this , but even sleeping got boring to me…

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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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