The Big Apple
About Archives Categories Index Search
About Archives Categories Index Search

May 12, 2023
Food/Drink

“Give a hungry man a science textbook and he will eat Faraday”

“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 saying. There are many jocular variations involving English scientist Michael…

August 16, 2013
Education/Schools

“Give a jackass an education and you get a smartass”

"Give a jackass an education and you get a smartass" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, hats and bumper stickers. "Give a jackass an…

November 13, 2019
Food/Drink

“Give a man a duck and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to duck & he’ll avoid low flying objects”

"Duck" can be used as a noun or a verb. "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 famous saying. There are several…

November 13, 2019
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Give a man a duck and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to duck and he won’t walk into a bar”

"Duck" can be used as a noun or a verb. "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 famous saying. There are several…

November 27, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; give a man a welfare check and he’ll vote for a Democrat”

“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 that means that it's better to have a person be able to support…

December 19, 2008
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." This phrase is popularly used in the business world, where it is often said that having…

June 17, 2020
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day… Unless he ordered steak, then you’re a shit waiter”

"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 fish,and he'll eat for a day.. Unless he…

January 22, 2023
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank and he can rob the world”

"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…

January 22, 2023
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank. Give a man a central bank and he can rob the world”

“Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank and he can rob the world” is a saying that became popular in November 2011 with the Occupy Wall Street protests. A newer version…

March 16, 2018
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Give a man a gun and he’ll rob a bank. Give a man a bank and he’ll rob the world”

"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…

March 16, 2018
Work/Businesses

“Give a man a job, you have an employee. Teach him how to shift blame, you have a manager”

A popular proverb is: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” A joke variation was posted on Twitter by Billy Dyer on January 11,…

March 12, 2018
Transportation

“Give a man a plane ticket and he’ll fly for a day” (joke)

A popular proverb is: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” A joke variation is: "Give a man a plane ticket and he'll…

March 21, 2018
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet

“Give a Nigerian a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a Nigerian to phish and he becomes a prince”

A popular proverb is: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” A version of this involves the Nigerian advance-fee scam: "Give…

April 23, 2023
Buildings/Housing/Parks

“Give a weed an inch and it will take a yard”

"Give a weed an inch and it will take a yard" (or "If you give a weed an inch, it will take a yard") is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. This is a…

August 26, 2012
Work/Businesses

“Give away the store” (conceding too much in a transaction)

To "give away the store" is to give away a substantial amount in a transaction. For example, a sports team desperate to acquire a superstar player might "give away the store" in…

November 24, 2011
Sports/Games

“Give blood—play hockey” (“Give blood—play rugby”)

Both rugby and hockey are violent games. The saying "Give Blood -- Play Rugby" was put on bumper stickers in 1975. The saying "Give Blood -- Play Hockey" has been on bumper…

October 9, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

“Give him someone else’s fish and he’ll vote for you”

Entry in progress -- BP “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; give a man a welfare check and he’ll vote for a Democrat” is a related saying. "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a…

August 23, 2012
Food/Drink

“Give me a dime for a sandwich.”/“Let me see the sandwich first.”

"Please give me a dime (or another amount) for a sandwich" is what a beggar might request. The line usually means that the beggar is hungry and needs the money to buy himself a sandwich…

January 22, 2023
Banking/Finance/Insurance

“Give me a gun and I can rob a bank. Give me a bank and I can rob the world”

"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…

January 14, 2016
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Give me a T” (tea joke)

"T" and "tea" sound the same. A "Give me a T" joke -- not, as it turns out, a letter cheer -- has been cited in print since at least October 2015. Sickipedia"Give…

First
Previous
345 346 347 348 349
Next
Last

About the Website and Editor

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.

Read more About the Website and Editor
About
Privacy Policy
RSS

© 2026 Barry Popik. All rights reserved.