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

“You can understand history or you can trust the state. You can’t do both”

"You can either trust the government or you can understand history, but you can't do both" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The message has been told slightly…

October 27, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can vaccinate the entire planet, but you can’t feed the starving?”

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic resulted in vaccines, but many people wondered why there was money for vaccines but no money to feed the poor. "Government can Vax the entire planet but…

October 27, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can vax the entire planet, but you can’t feed the starving?”

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic resulted in vaccines, but many people wondered why there was money for vaccines but no money to feed the poor. "Government can Vax the entire planet but…

November 22, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can vote your way into communism, but you have to shoot your way out”

"You can vote your way into communism/socialism, but you have to shoot your way out" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "The problem with socialism is that you can…

November 22, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out”

"You can vote your way into communism/socialism, but you have to shoot your way out" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "The problem with socialism is that you can…

April 21, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t ban your way to freedom”

"You can't tax your way to prosperity. You can't bomb your way to security. And you can't ban your way to liberty" was posted on X/Twitter by Alice Smith on December 9,…

December 19, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right”

"You can't be right by doing wrong; you can't be wrong by doing right" is an adage of Thomas S. Monson, the 16th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.…

June 14, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“You can’t beat a horse with no horse” (political adage)

"You can't beat a horse with no horse" is a racetrack saying meaning that you must have a horse in the race to beat another horse. The saying has been almost exclusively used in…

December 8, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t beat somebody with nobody”

"You can't beat somebody with nobody" is an old political axiom. No matter how poorly a political "somebody" is, that candidate can't be beaten by "nobody."…

April 21, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t bomb your way to democracy”

"You can't tax your way to prosperity. You can't bomb your way to security. And you can't ban your way to liberty" was posted on X/Twitter by Alice Smith on December 9,…

April 21, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t bomb your way to security”

"You can't tax your way to prosperity. You can't bomb your way to security. And you can't ban your way to liberty" was posted on X/Twitter by Alice Smith on December 9,…

May 25, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t BS a BSer” (“You can’t bullshit a bullshitter”)

"You can't BS a BSer" ("You can't bullshit a bullshitter") is sometimes used in political arguments. The cynical premise is that all politicians are BSers, so that one…

June 27, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t comply your way out of totalitarianism”

"You cannot comply your way out of tyranny" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is uncertain. "you cannot comply your way out of systemic racism" was…

May 25, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t con a con man”

"You can't con a con man/artist" is sometimes used in political arguments. The cynical premise is that all politicians are con men (or women), so that one can't easily con them.…

January 31, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t evict an idea” (Occupy Wall Street slogan)

"You can't evict an idea" was a slogan used by the Occupy Wall Street movement in November 2011; although the occupiers were evicted, their ideas were to remain. "You can't…

August 21, 2019
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t fight city hall” (proverb)

"Go fight city hall" or "You can't fight city hall" means to take on the powerful -- usually, a thankless and a futile task. "City hall" means the city…

November 5, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out”

"You can't fix stupid" is a saying of American stand-up comedian Ron White."You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out" is a jocular saying that has been printed on…

November 21, 2025
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t inject health”

"Health is not injected" is an anti-vaccination saying that has been printed on many images. Health might come from many things, such as good food and exercise, but not, according to this…

June 2, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution”

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The quote applies to both government and business.…

February 12, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t legislate morality/common sense/prosperity”

Legislation has its limits, and it has long been known that legislation alone cannot change the innate character of citizens. "You can neither legislate a man into virtue nor vice" was…

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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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