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September 24, 2012
Work/Businesses

“You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard”

"You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard" is a jocular saying that has been included in "Murphy's Laws" collections and a frequently…

May 1, 2015
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“You can judge a lot about a restaurant by how they maintain their restrooms”

Entry in progress -- B.P. TwitterDJ Damian P‏@DJDamianPYou can tell a lot about a venue based on how well they maintain their restrooms.1:22 PM - 17 Apr 2012 yelp (Phoenix, AZ) El Ranchero…

September 10, 2014
Work/Businesses

“You can judge a man by his shoes” (fashion adage)

"You can judge a man by his shoes" is an old fashion adage. "A fashion authority says you cannot always tell a man by his clothes, but you can invariably judge a gentleman by his…

February 7, 2026
Sports/Games

“You can just start calling yourself an Olympic hopeful. You don’t have to fill out a form or anything”

What is an "Olympic hopeful"? It can be someone who competes in events with the goal of making the Olympics, but an "Olympic hopeful" can also be a young child, who is full of…

May 18, 2019
Names/Phrases

“You can kiss my ass in Macy’s window”

The Macy's department store in Herald Square in New York City is one of the largest stores in the world. "You can kiss my ass in Macy's window" is a New York City insult meaning…

March 18, 2024
Streets

“You can legally park in a handicap spot if you get back with your ex more than 2 times”

"You’re legally allowed to park in a handicap spot if you get back with your ex more than twice" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. The joke is that this is proof…

August 24, 2021
Food/Drink

“You can literally go the rest of your life without eating”

"It’s entirely possible to live the rest of your life without eating or drinking" was posted on Twitter by Mar Shall on June 28, 2014. "You can technically go the rest of your life…

April 28, 2013
Food/Drink

“You can live three weeks without food, three days without water, but not a moment without hope”

"A man can live three weeks without food, three days without water, and three minutes without air, but he cannot live three seconds without hope" is a popular saying. The American…

July 11, 2023
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can love your country without having to love your government”

"You can love your country without having to love your government" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Description 'You can love your country without having to…

July 15, 2014
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can make anything out of lignin, except money”

Lignin is a complex polymer derived from wood. Lignin can be used to make many products -- at great cost, however. Science has attempted new solutions to bring the cost of lignin down so that its…

May 20, 2017
Food/Drink

“You can never be sure how many beers you had last night” (Heineken Uncertainty Principle)

"You can never be sure how many beers you had last night" has been called the "Heineken Uncertainty Principle" -- a physics pun on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. The…

May 11, 2015
Sports/Games

“You can never have too much pitching” (baseball adage)

"You can never have too much pitching" is an old baseball adage of unknown authorship. "You never have enough pitching" was cited in print in 1940; "You can't have…

September 22, 2015
Sports/Games

“You can observe a lot by watching”

New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra (1925-2015) was named the team's manager in October 1963, replacing Ralph Houk (1919-2010). Berra told reporters that he'd learned from coaches Houk…

January 5, 2018
Food/Drink

“You can only say ‘WTF’ so many times a day until you decide to start drinking”

"You can only say 'WTF' ('What the fuck?" -- ed.) so many times a day until you decide to start drinking" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on several…

January 24, 2015
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere”

"You can play a shoestring if you're sincere" is a frequently cited quotation attributed to American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane (1926-1967), but it's not known…

March 16, 2013
Sports/Games

“You can play hurt, but you can’t play injured” (sports adage)

Sports sometimes makes a distinction between "playing hurt" and "playing injured." Many players are not 100% when they enter a game and suffer cuts or sprains. A player must…

October 13, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can pray all you want, but eventually David had to pick up a stone and act against Goliath”

"You can pray all you want, but eventually David had to pick up a stone and act against Goliath" is a saying that has been printed on many images. That is, positive action is needed to…

September 21, 2020
Food/Drink

“You can put 30 different fruits in a smoothie, but put a banana in and it’s a banana smoothie”

Many people believe that it doesn't matter what else is in a smoothie -- if you put a banana in, it's a banana smoothie. "You know how no matter what else you put in a smoothie, if…

April 15, 2018
Food/Drink

“You can put literally any topping other than cheese on a hamburger and it’s still a hamburger”

A hamburger with cheese on it is not longer a hamburger -- it's a cheeseburger. However, you can load a hamburger up with ketchup, mustard, onions, lettuce, pickles and more, and it's…

January 22, 2023
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can rob a bank with a gun, but you can rob the world with a bank”

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime” is a popular proverb. "Give a man a gun and he'll rob a bank. Give a man a bank…

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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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