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December 18, 2014
Work/Businesses

“When work feels overwhelming, remember that you’re going to die”

"When work feels overwhelming, remember that you're going to die" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many ecards. The saying has been cited in print since at least…

July 21, 2019
Work/Businesses

“When writing the story of your life, don’t let someone else hold the pen”

"When writing the story of your life, don’t let someone else hold the pen" is an inspirational saying that has been printed on many images. "I like this RT @MidnightViews: When…

January 12, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When you allow people to choose between the corrupt and the stupid, they will go for the corrupt”

"When you allow people to choose between the corrupt and the stupid, they will go for the corrupt" was said by Arthur J. Finkelstein, the New York-born political consultant, about the…

January 19, 2026
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“When you answer the door, wear a coat. If you’re pleased to see them, tell them you’ve just got home…”

"Always answer the door with your coat on. If it's someone you like, you can tell them you just got home. If it's someone you don't like, you can tell them you were just…

October 26, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“When you are crying you should be buying; When you are yelling you should be selling”

A bit of rhyming investment advice is: "When everyone's crying you should be buying. When everyone's yelling you should be selling." In other words, do the opposite of what…

June 12, 2019
Education/Schools

“When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra”

Many students do not like to study algebra and do not use the learning after their school years. "Our favorite chuckle from McCall's mag: when you are dissatisfied and would like to go…

December 27, 2025
Work/Businesses

“When you are late for work, just walk in fast into the office and say ‘wow, just help me thank God I am alive today’”

If you're late for work, don't walk in with a smile on your face. Look angry or mad, as if the traffic, or a delayed bus or train, or something else held you back from that wonderful work…

March 23, 2026
Food/Drink

“When you burn your mouth, it’s the food cooking you back”

"When you burn your mouth, it's the food cooking you back" is a jocular food saying that was posted on Re3ddit -- Showerthoughts on January 31, 2018. "When you get burned while…

August 7, 2020
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“When you buy a bigger bed you have more bed room, but less bedroom”

A bedroom is a room for a bed. This was posted on Reddit -- Showerthoughts on March 30, 2016: "When you buy a bigger bed you have more bed room and less bedroom." Reddit --…

September 26, 2019
Food/Drink

“When you buy Halloween candy as an adult, you’re paying for free candy you got as a kid”

"When you buy Halloween candy to hand out as an adult, it’s like you are paying for all the free candy you got when you were a kid" was posted on Reddit -- Showerthoughts on October 31,…

July 24, 2019
Time/Weather

“When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine”

"If/When you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine" is an inspirational saying that has been printed on many images. "Sunshine" means "happiness" -- if you…

September 16, 2024
Food/Drink

“When you can’t decide what to do, just drink more coffee”

"When you can’t decide what to do, just drink more coffee" is a coffee saying that has been printed on many images. "When you can’t decide what to do, just drink more…

October 10, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil”

American journalist and author Max Lerner (1902-1992) wrote in Actions and Passions; Notes on the Multiple Revolution of Our Time (1949): "When you choose the lesser of two evils, always…

December 9, 2021
Food/Drink

“When you chop up onions, they force you to mourn their death”

Cutting an onion can make a person have tears. "onions force you to mourn their death" was posted on Twitter by Pennylane & Yumi on June 2, 2010. "Onions make you mourn their…

August 28, 2017
Streets

“When you come to a fork in the road, don’t pick it up. God knows where it’s been”

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it" is a saying popularized by Yankee baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra (1925-2015). "When you come to a fork in the road, don't pick…

March 4, 2021
Food/Drink

“When you compare gummy worms to gummy bears, it paints a horrific picture of gummy universe”

In the gummy universe pf gummy candies, gummy worms are bigger than gummy bears. "It's crazy that gummy worms are bigger than gummy bears. The gummy universe must be one fucked…

May 5, 2024
Food/Drink

“When you didn’t buy any snacks at the store because you told yourself you need to stop snacking…”

"When you didn't buy any snacks at the store/supermarket because you told yourself you need to stop snacking but now you feel snackish" (shown with a distressed individual) is a…

May 4, 2024
Food/Drink

“When you didn’t buy any snacks at the supermarket because you told yourself you need to stop snacking…”

"When you didn't buy any snacks at the store/supermarket because you told yourself you need to stop snacking but now you feel snackish" (shown with a distressed individual) is a…

May 16, 2022
Food/Drink

“When you dig a garden, you help bury industrial food! Eat local!”

"Remember... When you dig a garden, you help bury industrial food! Eat local!" (shown on an image) was posted on Twitter by Paul Eccles on January 24, 2022. TwitterPaul…

May 23, 2022
Food/Drink

“When you don’t know whether or not someone is eating something, are they omnomymous?”

"Nom nom" is the sound of that the Cookie Monster Muppet character from the children's television show Sesame Street makes when he eats. "Omnomynous" (or…

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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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