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April 26, 2013
Sports/Games

“You can’t make the club in the tub” (sports adage)

"You can't make the club in the tub" means that you can't make the team if you're always injured (and in the tub because of injury). "You can't make the club in…

June 7, 2012
Exercise/Running/Health Clubs

“You can’t out-exercise a bad diet”

"You can't out-exercise a bad/poor diet" means that if one's diet is poor, then exercise will not overcome that. "We all know that it is very difficult to out-exercise a…

January 24, 2018
Exercise/Running/Health Clubs

“You can’t outrun a fart on a treadmill”

Many people fart while on a treadmill. "You can't outrun a fart on a treadmill" was posted on Twitter on March 8, 2010, and the saying has been printed on several images. "Pro…

March 6, 2012
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can’t pick cherries with your back to the tree”

"You can't pick cherries with your back to the tree" has been attributed to American financier J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) since at least the 1980s, but there's no…

April 24, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t pick your friends’ noses”

It's a simple bit of civics: "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friends' noses." The silly saying has an unknown origin.…

July 31, 2017
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“You can’t plant flowers if you haven’t botany”

Entry in progress -- B.P. TwitterJim Chaparas‏ JimGCknows that it is difficult to study Plants if you haven't BOTANY ....10:34 AM - 10 Sep 2010 TwitterⒶpril Fe☭es🚩‏ @leducvioletI…

May 8, 2015
Sports/Games

“You can’t play boxing” (“You don’t play boxing”)

"You can play baseball, you can play basketball, you can play football, but you can't/don't play boxing," boxers frequently say. The expression implies that boxing is a much…

March 15, 2018
Work/Businesses

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first”

"You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first" is a motivational saying that has been printed on many images. That is, one must fill one's self up before…

April 7, 2015
Sports/Games

“You can’t predict baseball” (baseball adage)

Baseball, as many have said, is an unpredictable game. "You can't predict what can happen in baseball" was cited in 1970. "Baseball is a game you can't predict" was…

December 15, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can’t push a string” (economics adage)

Pulling a string is easy; pushing a string is difficult, with the string quickly losing its straightness. The term "pushing (on) a string" has been cited in print since at least 1910. In…

April 24, 2015
Exercise/Running/Health Clubs

“You can’t push yourself forward by patting yourself on the back”

“You can’t push yourself forward by patting yourself on the back" is a motivational saying that has been cited in print since at least 1921. Authorship is unknown. "You cannot propel…

September 6, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t put a crown on a clown and expect a king”

"You can't put a crown on a clown and expect a king" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying is often meant to refer to a United States president. The origin of…

October 19, 2021
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t reform fascism”

Many people believe that fascism is evil and that it must be overthrown, not reformed. "You can't reform fascism or strong-arm religious fascists" was posted on Twitter by Lulu on…

March 21, 2019
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)Work/Businesses

“You can’t ride two horses with one behind”

"You can't ride two horses at one time" is a popular proverb that dates to at least the 1800s. The expression slowly become more colorful. "We cannot ride two horses with one…

May 22, 2015
Sports/Games

“You can’t script October” (baseball adage)

Fox Sports covered the 2004 Major League Baseball playoffs and used a popular tagline, "You can't script October." "You can't script October" was filed for a trademark…

December 23, 2010
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can’t see the future through a rear view mirror”

Wall Street stock investor Peter Lynch wrote "Peter's Principle #4" in his book Beating the Street (1993): "You can't see the future through a rear view mirror." This…

June 8, 2011
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can’t sell from an empty wagon”

The business information company, Dun & Bradstreet, issued a 1949 poster of an old peddler with the slogan, "You Can't Do Business from an Empty Wagon." The saying (also popular…

July 29, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t spell ‘healthcare’ without THC”

"You can't spell 'healthcare' without THC" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "You can't spell healthcare without THC" was posted on Twitter…

June 15, 2025
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“You can’t spell ‘house’ without hoes”

Several jokes involve the spelling of "house." "'You can't spell 'house' without hoes' - @srikvlteswaran" was posted on X/Twitter by Disobedient Avocado…

July 29, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t spell ‘pharma’ without ‘harm’”

"You can't spell 'pharma'/'pharmacy'/'pharmaceuticals' without (the word) 'harm'" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "you…

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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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