“Scrapple From the Apple” (1947)
Jazz great Charlie "Bird" Parker recorded "Scrapple from the Apple" from the Savoy in Harlem in 1947. "The Apple" meant Harlem.…
“Second Hand Rose (From Second Avenue)” (1921)
"Second Hand Rose (From Second Avenue," with lyrics by Grant Clarke and music by James F. Hanley, was written for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1921. Fanny Brice sang this song - a follow-up to…
“Semiconductor: A part-time orchestra leader”
"Semiconductor: A part-time orchestra leader" was posted on the newsgroup misc.legal on February 16, 1992. "'It was not so long ago,' said the politico Geraldine Ferraro,…
“Several upset thespian pigeons decided to stage a coo”
"Coup" sounds like "coo." "When the birds take over, do the pigeons stage a coo?" was prints in a 2009 book. "The pigeons and doves are planning to overthrow the…
“Sex is like music: For every person who pays for it, there are thousands more getting it for free”
"Sex is like music: for every person who pays for it, there are thousands more getting it for free" is a popular line for the internet age. The saying was posted on Twitter on September…
“Shattered” (1978) (Rolling Stones’ “Big Apple” lyric)
"Shattered" is a song by The Rolling Stones from the album Some Girls (1978). Mick Jagger talks a bit about the "Big Apple" (New York City) in the song. The…
“She won’t techno for an answer”
"Techno" (a form of electronic dance music) sounds like "take no." A pun was posted on Twitter by "Shelf Side Spurs" on August 4, 2011: "My mates new girlfriend…
“She’s a Latin From Manhattan” (1935)
"She a Latin From Manhattan" was written for the film Go Into Your Dance (1935). The song was from the great songwriting team of Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (words) and performed by…
“She’s so stupid, she slept with the writer” (casting joke)
To be cast in a Hollywood or a Broadway production, the old saying is that a starlet sleeps with the director to get the part. "She's so dumb/stupid, she slept with the writer" is a…
“Sheet music is really just a sound recipe”
A music pun was posted on Reddit -- Shower Thoughts on March 9, 2015: "Sheet music is like a sound recipe." The joke is that a "sound recipe" can mean a "recipe of…
“Show business is high school with money” (show business adage)
Martin Mull is credited by other comedians for saying "Show business is (like) high school with money," but he probably originally said "Show business is just like high school,…
“Show, don’t tell” (scriptwriting adage)
"Show (them), don't tell (them)" is a popular adage told to writers of all kinds, but especially drama scriptwriters. The audience must learn about a character through action and…
“Sidewalks of New York (East Side, West Side)” (1894)
This 1894 song is one of New York's most popular. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/sidewalk.htm Lyrics: James W. Blake and Charles E. LawlorMusic: James W. Blake and Charles E. LawlorThe…
“Singing in the shower is fun and games until you get shampoo in your mouth. Then it’s soap opera”
"Singing in the shower is fun and games until you get shampoo in your mouth. Then it just becomes a soap opera" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "What's…
“Singing is like talking in cursive”
"Singing is like talking in cursive lol #WeirdThought" is a saying that was posted on Twitter on October 3, 2011. "Singing is like talking in cursive" was posted on Reddit --…
“Smooth jazz implies the existence of chunky jazz”
There is "smooth jazz," but no "chunky jazz." Jazz is not like smooth and chunky peanut butter, but there are jokes. "The last stuff of his I heard was almost like…
“Smooth jazz implies the existence of rough jazz”
There is "smooth jazz," but no "rough jazz." "Smooth jazz implies the existence of rough jazz" is a saying that has been printed on a popular image. Authorship of the…
“Somebody just gave me a free air guitar—no strings attached”
A popular joke is someone giving away a free air guitar (an imaginary guitar) -- no strings attached! "For sale!!.. Air guitar.. sensible offers please, no strings attached!! ha ha" was…
“Someone stole some of my rap CDs. Oh well, no biggie”
"No biggie" means "no big deal." Brooklyn-born Christopher George Latore Wallace (1972-1997) -- known professionally as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or Biggie -- is,…
“Someone who makes you laugh is a comedian; someone who makes you think, then laugh is a humorist”
Entry in progress -- B.P. 30 September 1978, The Centre Daily Times (State College, PA), pg. 4, col. 2:Subtle DifferenceSomeone who makes you laugh is a comedian, George Burns said. Someone who…