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

October 11, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When they go low, you go high”

"When they go low, you go high" is a political philosophy that was said by U.S. President Barack Obama and popularized in speeches by First Lady Michelle Obama. The first lady went on…

December 16, 2010
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls” (Wall Street adage)

"When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls" is a Wall Street saying, meaning that when stocks start to strongly fall or to strongly rise, the market takes all the stocks in…

September 25, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When they say democracy, they mean liberalism. When they say unite, they mean comply”

"WHEN THEY SAY DEMOCRACY, THEY MEAN LIBERALISM. WHEN THEY SAY UNITE, THEY MEAN COMPLY" is a saying that has been printed on an image. "To paraphrase @Vermeullarmine: ‘When they say…

October 4, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When they start threatening people who want to investigate election fraud…”

"When they start threatening people who want to investigate election fraud - - There's election fraud" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying originated after…

October 24, 2010
Food/Drink

“When things are bad and getting worse, keep a cookie in your purse”

"When things are bad and getting worse, keep a cookie in your purse" has been cited in print since at least 1999, when it was on a greeting card. The saying has also appeared on a…

March 21, 2020
Work/Businesses

“When this is all over, please continue to stay at least 6 feet away from me” (social distancing)

The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak caused "social distancing," where people distanced themselves about six feet away from each other. "When this is over please continue to stay at…

April 26, 2020
Food/Drink

“When this is over, should I go to Weight Watchers or AA first?”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in lockdowns. Many people ate and drank a lot. It was a joke that people would need to visit Weight Watchers (WW) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).…

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

“When those side effects kick in, come on back and we’ll sell you something for those as well”

"When those side effects kick in, come on back and we'll sell you something for those as well" (shown on an image, with a pharmacist talking to a customer) was posted on Facebook by…

March 16, 2013
Work/Businesses

“When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary”

"When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary" is a popular line that's been credited to U.S. chewing gum company founder William Wrigley, Jr. (1861-1932). The…

March 31, 2015
Food/Drink

“When two vegetarians are arguing, is it still considered beef?”

When someone has a "beef" with someone else, it means a "grudge" or a "complaint." The word "beef" does not mean "meat," but the confusion leads to…

April 5, 2024
Food/Drink

“When vegans have sex they ask to be artichoked. I will not be reading any replies to this tweet”

Artichokes have nothing to do with choking, but there are jokes. "When vegans have sex they ask to be artichoked" was posted on X/Twitter by ZΔCKΔRI XΔVIER on July 5, 2018. "When…

June 12, 2018
Food/Drink

“When vegetables get a vasectomy they get the parsnip”

"Parsnip" sounds to some people, perhaps, like "parts snip." "A parsnip is also the best vegetable for performing dad's vasectomy" was posted on Twitter on April…

September 25, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When Wall Street sneezes, the rest of the world catches pneumonia” (“When America sneezes…”)

Wall Street influences Main Street and even the rest of the world. "When Wall Street sneezes," the saying goes, "the rest of the world catches pneumonia." The phrase has several…

July 2, 2020
Time/Weather

“When we changed the clocks, we went from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone!”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic affected many Americans starting in March 2020. "I don’t think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks earlier this month we’d go from standard…

April 17, 2020
Work/Businesses

“When we do go back to work, we’re going to need at least a week’s notice to find our pants”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic caused many people to stay in their homes -- where they did not dress formally. "Honest confession: If everyone was healthy and we could all go back to work…

January 27, 2020
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When we grow up, checking for monsters under the bed becomes checking our bank accounts”

"When we grow up, checking for monsters under the bed becomes checking our bank accounts. Equally terrifying" and "As an adult, checking the bank account is the equivalent of…

November 12, 2020
Work/Businesses

“When we lose God, it is not God who is lost”

"When we lose God, it is not God who is lost" is an inspirational saying that has been printed on many images. Authorship is unknown. "When we lose God, it is not God who is lost.…

December 12, 2012
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost”

The following three lines were printed in 1882 and credited as "Motto on the walls of a school in Germany"" When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;When health is lost, something is…

September 17, 2018
Food/Drink

“When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but 10 extra pounds on hips, thighs and rear”

The classic Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" contains the lines: "When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer."…

August 12, 2019
Food/Drink

“When will people stop eating ground pork?”/“When pigs fly.”

"When pigs fly” is an old saying about an impossibility and a time that never comes. "Until pigs fly, all pork is ground pork" was posted on Twitter by Ejigantor on October 15,…

First
Previous
1378 1379 1380 1381 1382
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.