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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 10, 2019
Art/Sculpture

“You can’t spell earth without art”

"Earth without art is just eh" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on many posters. "Did you know you can't spell Earth without art?" was posted on Twitter…

July 10, 2019
Art/Sculpture

“You can’t spell heart without art”

"You can't spell heart without art" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Remember, you can’t spell heart without art" was printed in the Los Angeles (CA)…

July 11, 2019
Art/Sculpture

“You can’t spell paint without pain”

"You can't spell paint without pain" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying means that a painter's struggles are produced in a painting. Also, painting can…

July 11, 2019
Art/Sculpture

“You can’t spell painting without pain”

"You can't spell painting without pain" is a saying that has been printed on several images. The saying means that a painter's struggles are produced in a painting. Also,…

July 13, 2023
Food/Drink

“You can’t spell sausage without U.S.A.”

"You can't spell sausage without U.S.A." is a saying that has been printed on many images. Johnsonville, a sausage company headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, trademarked…

July 14, 2023
Food/Drink

“You can’t spell sausage without usage”

"You can't spell sausage without usage" is a jocular saying, less popular than “You can’t spell sausage without U.S.A.” "You can't spell 'sausage' without…

May 18, 2020
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus

“You can’t spell subtext without buttsex”

An anagram of "subtext" is "buttsex." "You can't spell subtext without buttsex" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "Do you seriusly mean to…

March 28, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t spell virus without U and I” (pickup line)

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in some jocular pickup lines, but a popular one had been cited in print earlier. "You can't spell Virus without I" was on YouTube on April…

March 28, 2020
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t spell virus without us” (pickup line)

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in some jocular pickup lines, but a popular one had been cited in print earlier. "You can't spell 'Virus' without…

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

“You can’t spend your way to prosperity” (“You can’t borrow your way to prosperity”)

"You can't spend your way to prosperity' (or, "You can't borrow your way to prosperity") means that the federal government can't achieve prosperity by…

January 28, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You can’t spend yourself rich and you can’t vote yourself free”

"You can't spend yourself rich and you can't vote yourself free" is a saying popularized by Ukrainian-American author, podcaster, columnist, anarchist and media personality…

January 28, 2022
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“You can’t spend yourself rich”

"You can't spend yourself rich and you can't vote yourself free" is a saying popularized by Ukrainian-American author, podcaster, columnist, anarchist and media personality…

November 20, 2011
Sports/Games

“You can’t steal first base” (baseball adage)

"You can't steal first base" is an old baseball saying, meaning that team speed is fine to have, but good hitting is also needed. The saying has been used since at least 1910, when a…

July 22, 2012
Sports/Games

“You can’t steal second base while your foot is on first base”

"You can't steal second base while your foot is on first base" is a popular business proverb that uses baseball language. "Progress always involves risk. You can't steal…

March 20, 2012
Sports/Games

“You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him”

"You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him" means that a sports superstar can be expected to perform well "you can't stop him"), so the secret to winning a…

July 5, 2007
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

“You can’t swing a dead cat in Austin without hitting a musician”

Austin has been called the Live Music Capital of the World. It's been said that "you can't swing a dead cat in Austin without hitting a musician." "Swing a dead cat"…

December 30, 2012
Food/Drink

“You can’t take a second drink unless you have taken a first”

"You can't take a second drink unless you have taken a first" was included in the book A Dictionary of American Proverbs (1991), but the saying has also been included on Internet…

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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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