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June 1, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“With everything going on, you’d think America is cursed or something. Like it was built on…”

A popular trope in movies and television is that something (such as a house or a town) is cursed because it was built on an ancient Indian burial ground. This became a viral joke about America.…

August 21, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“With great power comes great electricity bill”

"With great power comes great responsibility" is a saying that was popularized by the Spider-Man series of comic books. "With great power comes great electricity bill" is a…

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

“With guns in the hands of the public, sure there will be tragedies, but without them there will be genocides”

"With guns in the hands of the public, (sure) there may/will be tragedies, but without them, there will be genocides" is a pro-gun saying that has been printed on many images. This is…

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

“With guns in the hands of the public, there may be tragedies, but without them, there will be genocides”

"With guns in the hands of the public, (sure) there may/will be tragedies, but without them, there will be genocides" is a pro-gun saying that has been printed on many images. This is…

April 2, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“With little tea and just rice for all” (Pledge of Allegiance mondegreen)

The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States has been recited by millions of school children, and many of them say the wrong words. These mishearings or misinterpretations are called…

April 2, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“With liver tea” (Pledge of Allegiance mondegreen)

The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States has been recited by millions of school children, and many of them say the wrong words. These mishearings or misinterpretations are called…

June 26, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Without Arabians, 9/11 wouldn’t exist. It would be IX/XI instead”

Jokes about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center are numerous, although not politically correct. A "9/11" number joke was posted on Reddit…

August 29, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Without cops, politicians would just be guys with bad opinions”

"Without cops, politicians would just be guys with bad opinions" (shown on an image) was posted on Facebook by Anarcho-MemeCapistan on January 2, 2020. That is, the police help legitimize…

July 26, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible”

Rock musician Frank Zappa (1940-1993) said in a February 1971 interview (available on YouTube): "Well I think that progress is not possible without deviation. And I think that it's…

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

“Without freedom of speech, we would never know who the idiots are”

"Without freedom of speech, we would never know who the idiots are" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is uncertain. "If we don’t protect freedom of…

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

“Without freedom of speech, we wouldn’t know who the idiots are”

"Without freedom of speech, we would never know who the idiots are" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is uncertain. "If we don’t protect freedom of…

May 11, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Without rulers, who would pretend they’re saving you while quietly selling you out?”

"Without rulers, who would pretend they're saving you while quietly selling you out?" (shown on an image) was posted on Facebook by Justin Winter on April 30, 2025. A similar image,…

April 7, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Woke (adj.): A state of awareness only achieved by those dumb enough to find injustice…”

"woke /wōk/ informal • US (adj.) A state of awareness only achieved by those dumb enough to find injustice in everything except their own behavior" is a jocular definition that has…

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

“Women speak softly and carry a big statistic”

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) quoted what he said was a West African proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg…

August 17, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Women who strive to be equal to men lack ambition”

"Women who seek to be equal to men lack ambition'' is a jocular saying that has been cited in print since at least 1978, when advertisements in Ms. magazine featured this saying on…

June 29, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Women’s rights are human rights”

"Women's rights are human rights" is a women's rights slogan that has been printed on many images. Wikipedia: Women's rights are human rights"Women's rights are…

September 13, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Words mean things”

"Words mean things" has been the catchphrase of conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh since at least 1993. Limbaugh often uses "words mean things" to describe the…

October 21, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Work for a cause, not for applause”

A popular inspirational poster is: Work for a cause, not for applause.Live life to express, not to impress.Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.-- Author…

April 1, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Would you buy a used car from this man?”

"Would you buy a used car from this man?" was a joke told at the July 1960 Democratic National Convention about Republican presidential challenger Richard Nixon; the slogan was put on a…

December 20, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Y’all went from sheep to lab rats”

"Y'all went from sheep to lab rats" (referring to "sheep" obeying Covid-19 masking and social distancing restrictions, and then "lab rats" taking experimental…

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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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