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April 7, 2017
Food/Drink

“You haven’t had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it’s running”

"You haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Trying to get a word in edgewise…

July 8, 2016
Names/Phrases

“You haven’t lived until you died in New York”

American critic Alexander Woollcott (1887-1943) wrote in While Rome Burns (1934): "You haven't lived until you died in New York." The one-line saying has been included in lists of…

August 13, 2016
Food/Drink

“You kill vegetarian vampires with a steak to the heart”

A vampire is killed by a stake to the heart. There's a vegetarian version in the riddle: Q: How do you kill a vegetarian vampire?A: Drive a steak through his heart. The joke was cited in the…

March 17, 2025
Work/Businesses

“You killing yourself for a job that would replace your ass within a week if you dropped dead. Take care of yourself”

"You're killing yourself for a job that would replace you within a week if you dropped dead. Take care of yourself" is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying means…

March 13, 2024
Food/DrinkTime/Weather

“You knew summer was coming & u just kept eating”

People usually try to get in shape for the summer, when the weather is warmer and they will be wearing less clothing. "You knew summer was coming and you just kept eating" (or "You…

March 13, 2024
Food/DrinkTime/Weather

“You knew summer was coming and you just kept eating”

People usually try to get in shape for the summer, when the weather is warmer and they will be wearing less clothing. "You knew summer was coming and you just kept eating" (or "You…

March 13, 2024
Food/DrinkTime/Weather

“You knew summer was coming but you still kept eating”

People usually try to get in shape for the summer, when the weather is warmer and they will be wearing less clothing. "You knew summer was coming and you just kept eating" (or "You…

July 2, 2026
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“You know a restaurant is expensive when a menu item says ‘market price’”

Restaurants often put some items, such as seafood, as "market price" (abbreviated "MKT"). That menu item is usually very expensive. "You know a restaurant expensive when a…

December 16, 2021
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“You know a restaurant is fancy when instead of bringing the bill, they bring the William”

A joke has it that a fancy restaurant doesn't give you a "bill," it gives you a "william." "At the end of meals in formal restaurants remember to ask for the William.…

January 10, 2024
Time/Weather

“You know it’s cold outside when you go outside and it’s cold”

"You know it's cold outside when you go outside and it's cold" is an obvious saying that has been printed on many images. "'@MattSingleton17: You know it's cold…

January 27, 2025
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)Time/Weather

“You know it’s cold outside when you trip over dog poop instead of stepping in it”

"You know it's cold outside when you trip over dog poop/shit instead of stepping in it" is a jocular winter saying that has been printed on many images. "You know it's cold…

January 27, 2025
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)Time/Weather

“You know it’s cold outside when you trip over dog shit instead of stepping in it”

"You know it's cold outside when you trip over dog poop/shit instead of stepping in it" is a jocular winter saying that has been printed on many images. "You know it's cold…

June 30, 2023
Food/Drink

“You know it’s real fall when Mallomars are out”

Mallomars are cookies, first introduced in 1913 by Nabisco, with a graham cracker base topped with marshmallow, and coated with dark chocolate. The chocolate melted in the summer, and the product…

February 7, 2018
Art/Sculpture

“You know it’s tax season when you see a dancing Statue of Liberty on the street corner”

Liberty Tax Service began in 1998; in 2004, it employed people dressed as the Statue of Liberty to stand on sidewalks and bring in customers. For many people, it's a sign that it's tax…

February 7, 2018
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“You know it’s tax season when you see a dancing Statue of Liberty on the street corner”

Liberty Tax Service began in 1998; in 2004, it employed people dressed as the Statue of Liberty to stand on sidewalks and bring in customers. For many people, it's a sign that it's tax…

June 12, 2021
Transportation

“You know it’s time to clean out your purse when the car assumes it’s a second passenger…”

Many people place a handbag on the empty passenger seat of a car. "I know it’s time to clean out my purse when my car assumes it’s a second passenger who’s not wearing their…

January 18, 2018
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“You know it’s time to clean your screen when you start confusing dirt with punctuation”

Specs of dirt on a computer screen can be mistaken for periods and commas. "Keeping a clean desk space is vital, otherwise you try to correct punctuation that in fact turns out to be a speck…

June 13, 2020
Exercise/Running/Health Clubs

“You know it’s bad when you don’t even get morning skinny anymore”

Some overweight people at least feel skinny in the morning. "You know the holiday season/freshman 15 is approaching when you don’t even get morning skinny anymore" was posted on Twitter…

July 2, 2026
Time/Weather

“You know it’s hot when you go outside and it’s hot”

"You know it’s hot when you go outside and it’s hot" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. The joke is that there is no joke. "You know it's hot, when…

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

“You know liberal brainwashing is real when you see white people protesting against white people”

"You know the brainwashing is real when white people protest against white people for being white people" (or "You know the brainwashing is real when white people start protesting…

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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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