The Big Apple
About Archives Categories Index Search
About Archives Categories Index Search

May 21, 2023
Food/Drink

“When alcohol doesn’t count: 1. When it’s sunny 2. Your birthday 3. Friday nights 4. All weekend…”

"When alcohol doesn't count: 1. When it's sunny 2. Your birthday 3. Friday nights 4. All weekend 5. If you're already drunk" is a drinking saying (with several variations)…

January 7, 2017
Work/Businesses

“When all else fails, read the instructions”

"When all else fails, read the instructions" is a jocular line that has been cited in print since at least 1954, when it was applied to an automatice food dispensing machine. "If all…

March 1, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When all else fails, vote from the rooftops”

"When all else fails, vote from the rooftops" is a saying that has been printed on many images, usually with a picture of a rifle. A person is not voting in a voting booth, but is…

May 11, 2017
Food/Drink

“When all else fails… Pizza & Beer”

"When all else fails… Pizza & Beer" is a popular saying. "When all else fails you can't go wrong with some pizza and a good beer!!!" was posted on Twitter on May 31,…

September 28, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When all is said and done, more is said than done”

"When/After all is said and done, more is said than done" has been credited to football coach Lou Holtz (born 1937), but the expression was known before he was born. The saying is often…

March 4, 2017
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she’d dye”

"When the actress saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye" is a pun that has been printed on sevveral images. A "Jumble" puzzle answer was published in…

December 20, 2013
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground” (proverb)

Amadou Hampâté Bâ (1901-1991), a Malian writer and ethnologist, is credited for saying before UNESCO in 1960: "En Afrique, quand un vieillard meurt, c’est une bibliothèque qui…

June 2, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When any nation mistrusts its citizens with guns it is sending a clear message”

George Washington (1732-1799) is often credited with saying: "When a nation mistrusts its citizens with guns it is it sending a clear message. It no longer trusts its citizens because such a…

July 21, 2024
Time/Weather

“When astronauts get sick, do they feel over the weather?”

When people get sick, it's said that they are "under the weather." "When astronauts get sick, do they feel over the weather?" was posted on X/Twitter by Ultimate Dad Jokes…

November 21, 2017
Food/DrinkPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“When baking dog biscuits, be sure to use collie flour”

"Cauliflower" sounds like "collie flour." "Dog biscuits are made out of collie-flour" is a pun that has been cited in print since at least 1928. A riddle was printed…

December 31, 2024
Food/Drink

“When beef stew gets in trouble, his parents probably call him beef stewart”

"Beef stew" is not short for "beef stewart" or "beef stuart," but there are jokes. "Stew: I'm just so angry! Geoffrey Jellineck: Obviously you have a beef,…

October 18, 2018
Holidays/Events/ParadesPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween”

"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be…

February 22, 2017
Food/Drink

“When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion”

A popular cannibal pun is: "When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion." The "taste of religion" joke has been cited in print since at least 1907, with…

February 6, 2026
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food StoresWork/Businesses

“When checking out at the store, ask your checkout person what kind of candy bar they like and buy them one…”

Stores usually sell candy at the checkout line, and there's a joke about this. "When checking out at the store, ask your checkout person what kind of candy bar they like and buy them one.…

January 26, 2017
Food/Drink

“When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?”

“Say ‘Cheese!‘“ is what photographers often say to get people to smile. A popular joke is: "When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?" The jocular one-liner was posted…

March 25, 2014
Work/Businesses

“When Christianity came to America, it became a business”

Dr. Richard C. Halverson (1916-1995), chaplain to the U.S. Senate, was credited in 1984 for a speech before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church: "In the beginning the church was a…

April 2, 2024
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“When Chuck Norris eats at a restaurant, the wait staff tips him”

"When [X] eats at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress tips him" is a joke said about several powerful people, including American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris and Dos Equis beer…

April 1, 2024
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“When Chuck Norris eats at a restaurant, the waiter tips him”

"When [X] eats at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress tips him" is a joke said about several powerful people, including American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris and Dos Equis beer…

April 1, 2024
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“When Chuck Norris eats at a restaurant, the waitress tips him”

"When [X] eats at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress tips him" is a joke said about several powerful people, including American martial artist and actor Chuck Norris and Dos Equis beer…

September 13, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When communists have sex, do they seize the means of reproduction?”

Communists usually seek to control the "means of production," but there are "reproduction" jokes. "Sex communists, seizing the means of reproduction" was posted on…

First
Previous
1362 1363 1364 1365 1366
Next
Last

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.

Read more About the Website and Editor
About
Privacy Policy
RSS

© 2026 Barry Popik. All rights reserved.