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June 3, 2018
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A clean browsing history is also a dirty one”

"A clean browsing history is also a dirty one" is a saying meaning that a too-clean browsing history is just one that has recently been cleaned of the dirt. "A clean browser history…

June 19, 2015
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A clean house is a sign of no Internet connection”

"A clean house is a sign of no Internet connection" is a jocular line that has been printed on posters. "A clean house is a sign of a broken computer" was cited in print in 2002…

December 9, 2019
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A computer keyboard is a word piano”

A computer keyboard has been compared to piano. "RT @mamasanta computer keyboard my word piano" was posted on Twitter by Kathy Uyen Nguyen on October 28, 2009. "A computer keyboard…

November 26, 2013
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a public as base as itself”

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Joseph PulitzerJoseph Pulitzer (Listeni/ˈpʊlɨtsər/ puul-it-sər;[2] April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911), born Pulitzer József, was a Hungarian-American…

May 3, 2018
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A detained knight should consult a graphic designer. Apparently they free lance a lot”

Many people in the media freelance a lot. This is not to be confused with "free Lancelot" (a Knight of the Round Table), but a joke was posted on Reddit -- 3amjokes on May 3, 2018:…

January 28, 2018
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/InternetPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“A dog walks into a telegram office…” (joke)

People don't send telegrams anymore. However, a "dog walks into a telegram/telegraph office" joke has been popular since at least 1984. Google BooksJokes: Outrageous bits, atrocious…

December 3, 2021
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A Facebook stranger doesn’t like my opinion. Please respect my privacy during this difficult time”

Some people have told jokes about the inflated importance of Twitter/Facebook. "ProzacNation_: a stranger has just informed me that he has unfollowed me on twitter. please respect my privacy…

November 21, 2012
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers”

Newspapers often headline stories about wars and murders. "A fairy tale is a horror story to prepare children for the newspapers" is a definition that has been cited in print since at…

October 29, 2017
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A fingerprint sensor on your phone is a one-digit password”

Passwords are often four, six or eight digits long. A "digit" pun was posted on Reddit -- Shower Thoughts on October 29, 2017: "A fingerprint sensor on your phone is a one-digit…

October 2, 2025
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A foolish man shares his problems. A wise man shares his memes”

"A foolish man shares his problems. A wise man shares his memes" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying is sometimes humorously credited to "Confucius" or…

July 7, 2024
Food/DrinkMedia/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A friend of mine has a mobile phone shaped like an Italian dumpling. It’s a gnocchia”

Nokia (a Finnish telecommunications, information technology company) and gnocchi (Italian dumplings) shouldn't be confused, but there are jokes. "My new mobile phone is shaped like an…

January 12, 2021
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A friend tweeted ‘what’s a simile?’ I clicked the ‘like’ button”

A "like" button on the internet has nothing to do with a simile (a statement that uses "like" or "as"), but there are jokes. This was posted on Sickipedia on January…

November 9, 2017
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A grave twenty-three inches long” (a newspaper column)

American humorist and journalist Don Marquis (1878-1937) was one of New York City's first and most famous of newspaper columnists. He wrote the column "Sun Dial" for The Evening Sun…

July 3, 2017
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A house isn’t a home unless there’s wifi”

"A house isn't a home unless there's wifi" is a saying that has been printed in several images. The saying was posted on Twitter on July 6, 2012. Wikipedia: Wi-FiWi-Fi or WiFi…

April 11, 2025
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A joke told 10 times is overused. A joke told 10,000 times is a meme”

Many popular memes contain jokes. "A joke told 10 times is overused. A joke told 10,000 times is a meme" (shown on an image) was posted on iFunny on October 4, 2021. iFunny MaCass_2016 4…

May 3, 2012
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A journalist is an unemployed reporter”

What is the difference between a journalist and a reporter? The term "journalist" is often said to be a fancier (or more pretentious) version of the term "reporter." "A…

April 11, 2023
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A life without memes is memingless”

"A life without memes is memingless" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Memingless" is a portmanteau pf "meme" and "meaningless." The images…

October 27, 2012
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A magazine is a bunch of printed pages that tell you what’s coming in the next issue”

Mad magazine (a humor magazine) made fun of magazines when it published the following joke in 1960: "Magazine . . . bunch of printed pages that tell you what's coming next issue."…

October 14, 2024
Food/DrinkMedia/Newspapers/Magazines/InternetWork/Businesses

“A meeting without food should be an email”

"A meeting without food should be an email" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Any meeting without food should literally just be an email" was posted on…

September 15, 2016
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“A million guys walk into a Silicon Valley bar…” (tech joke)

"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A Silicon Valley version is: "A million guys/people walk into a Silicon Valley bar. No…

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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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