“Regular barrel of laughs” (someone/something not funny)
An entertainment is sometimes said to be "a barrel of laughs" (to have a lot of laughs) or "a barrel of fun" (to have a lot of fun). The "barrel" term was popular in…
“Remember when you would get kicked out of a nightclub for experimenting with untested drugs?”
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic resulting in many requirements to get vaccinations. The vaccinations received emergency use authorizations and were not fully tested and approved by the U.S.…
“Rose of Washington Square” (1920)
"Rose of Washington Square," with words by Ballard MacDonald and music by James F. Hanley, appeared in Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic (1920). The usual singer was Fanny Brice (portrayed…
“Roses are red. Salsa is hot. Chocolate has calories. Dancing does not”
"Roses are red. Salsa is hot. Chocolate has calories. Dancing does not" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying plays on the word "salsa," which can be a…
“Roses are red. Salsa is hot. Chocolate has calories. Zumba does not”
"Roses are red. Salsa is hot. Chocolate has calories. Dancing does not" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying plays on the word "salsa," which can be a…
“Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long” (1932)
"Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long" (1932) is probably most familiar to audiences from singer Barbra Streisand. Comedian/singer Joe E. Lewis earlier had popularized the song. The…
“Satire is something that closes on Saturday night” (theatre adage)
"Satire is what closes on Saturday night" is a 1937 quotation of playwright George S. Kaufman (1889-1961). Kaufman co-authored many popular comedies -- and satires -- but he felt that…
“Saw a fat kid wearing an ‘I Love Hip Hop” shirt. The letters ‘C’ and ‘S’ must have washed off”
"Just seen a fat bird wearing a t-shirt saying ‘I Love hip hop’....... ha ha.... the c and the s must have fallen off!!" was posted on Twitter by dan.e.ligner on February 10, 2011.…
“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…