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June 16, 2020
Food/Drink

“‘Pour me,’ thought the teapot”

"Poor me" should not be confused with "pour me," but there are jokes. "I used to live in a teapot. I know what you're thinking. Poor you" is a pun by English…

October 12, 2017
Food/Drink

“‘Probiotic’ sounds a lot better than ‘bacteria infested’”

"Probiotic" sounds like something good, but some people might not like it if it went by another name. "'Probiotic' sounds a lot sexier that 'dead bacteria…

October 23, 2012
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“‘Quotes on the Internet are becoming less and less reliable.’—Abraham Lincoln”

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) said many famous quotes, but has many more quotations falsely attributed to him. The Internet (invented over 100 years after Lincoln's death) is full of the real…

November 7, 2017
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Righty tighty, lefty loosey’ isn’t a statement about females and politics”

"Righty tighty, lefty loosey" is a popular meme about how to screw or unscrew objects. Some have used "righty tighty" to describe politically conservative people and "lefty…

November 12, 2024
Holidays/Events/ParadesWork/Businesses

“‘Santa isn’t real’ ok, I literally saw him at the mall”

Many shopping malls have Santa Claus displays for Christmas. Do mall Santas mean that Santa is real? "first christmas as an adult and my dad just told me that santa isn’t real but i…

June 16, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Senator’ is an anagram for ‘treason’”

An anagram of the word "senator" is the word "treason." This anagram has been noted since at least 1951, when it was printed in the New Statesman and Nation. "An anagram…

April 18, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Social distancing’ is an anagram for ‘dissociating clan’”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic led to "social distancing." An anagram of "social distancing" is "dissociating clan." "Social distancing=Dissociating…

July 1, 2020
Food/Drink

“‘Soybean’ is a Spanish word which roughly translates as ‘I am bean’” (joke)

The Spanish word "soy" means "I am." "The word "soybean" comes from spanish, where it means 'I am bean'" was posted on Twitter by Drew Mokris on…

January 26, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“‘Stay home, save lives’ should be America’s foreign policy”

"Stay home, save lives" is a slogan that was used during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Some people believed that the slogan should also apply to America's foreign policy.…

July 7, 2024
Food/Drink

“‘Sugar free’ is code for ‘we replaced the sugar with something even worse for you’”

"'Sugar free' is code for 'we replaced the sugar with something even worse for you'" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "A reminder that…

September 3, 2017
Food/Drink

“‘Tater tots’ is short for ‘potato toddlers’”

"Tater tots" weren't originally called "potato toddlers," but that's a popular saying. "Tater tots= fried potato toddlers?" was posted on Twitter on November…

June 27, 2020
Food/Drink

“‘That wasn’t chicken.’ Worst fortune cookie ever”

A fortune cookie is usually eaten at the end of a meal. A jocular fortune cookie message, "That wasn't chicken," has been printed on many images. "Funny magazine ad for Sauza…

February 18, 2018
Work/Businesses

“‘The later I get here, the quicker this ends’ isn’t the right answer for ‘why are you late?’”

Some employees believe that the later they arrive to work, the sooner it's over. "My boss asked my why I was always late for work. I'm like, 'Cause it make the day go faster.…

November 4, 2025
Time/Weather

“‘The weather’ is not small talk. Weather is vast, beautiful, and mysterious. We are never really ready to talk about the clouds”

Many people regard talking about the weather as small talk that everyone can have an opinion on (but no one can do anything about). Many other people regard talking about the weather as very…

July 13, 2020
Education/Schools

“‘There are no words in English that have all vowels in alphabetical order,’ he said facetiously”

A-E-I-O-U-Y are the English vowels, in order. There are several English words that

July 18, 2025

“‘This needs more fluoride’ said no one ever”

"'This needs more fluoride' said no one ever" (shown on an image) was posted on Facebook by Spencer Haley Technology Services on August 6, 2012. People who advocate taking…

May 1, 2018
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“‘Tiny House Community’ is just hipster lingo for ‘Mobile Home Park’”

"Tiny house community" is a 2000s term for people living in smaller houses. "Tiny House Communities DO exist. We call them mobile home parks" was posted on Twitter on January 9,…

December 24, 2012
Food/Drink

“‘Tis the taste that tells the tale”

"'Tis the taste that tells the tale" is a slogan that has been associated with several products and restaurants. "The Taste -- That Tells the Tale" was cited in a 1906 ad…

June 4, 2017
Food/Drink

“‘Too much milk left need more cereal’ always leads to ‘too much cereal need more milk’”

Some people must always have a cereal and milk balance. "'Too much milk left need more cereal' always leads to 'too much cereal need more milk'" is a jocular saying…

April 10, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthWork/Businesses

“‘Trust the science’ has never been anything other than a marketing term that means shut up and obey”

"'Trust the science' has never been anything other than a marketing term that means shut up and obey" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The term "trust the…

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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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