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April 18, 2013
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“People go to a restaurant for the food, but come back for the service”

"People go to a restaurant for the food, but come back for the service" is a popular restaurant adage. Many restaurants serve good food, but the restaurant that also provides good service…

May 25, 2014
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“People who aren’t nice to waiters aren’t nice people”

"A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person" was written by newspaper humor columnist Dave Barry in 1998. ""People who aren't nice to…

November 18, 2022
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“People who argue over the price of bread in a kosher bakery are challah-cost deniers”

Challah is a bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. "What's the challah cost?" sounds like "What's the holocaust?", and there are jokes. "How much does that challah…

December 12, 2023
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“People who help you find what you’re looking for at liquor stores should be called ‘spirit guides’”

"People who help you find what you're looking for at liquor stores should be called 'spirit guides'" is a jocular saying (a pun based on the double meaning of…

March 6, 2021
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“People who like to drink know when liquor stores close. Alcoholics know when liquor stores open”

"If you know when the liquor store closes you are crafty. If you know when the liquor store opens you are an alcoholic" was posted on Twitter by Griffin Danes on June 14, 2013.…

February 1, 2026
Media/Newspapers/Magazines/InternetRestaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“People who upload menu photos to the Google Maps listings of restaurants are the backbone of society”

Many people use Google Maps to find restaurants in a certain area, and some people have added restaurant menus to the maps. This was posted on Threads by elwxnz on January 24, 2026, and it received…

February 21, 2024
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthRestaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Pepsi & Coke can’t even be in the same restaurant together…and you want world peace”

"Pepsi & Coke can't even be in the same restaurant together...and you want world peace" is a saying that has been printed on many images. Pepsi and Coke are rival soda companies.…

February 26, 2023
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Pheidippides walks into a bar…” (bar joke)

"A guy walks into a bar..." is a typical form of what has been called the "bar joke." A marathon runner variation is: "A marathon runner walks into a bar. The bartender…

February 3, 2017
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Pizza delivery cars should be allowed to use sirens”

"Pizza delivery cars should be allowed to use sirens" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on many images. The saying was posted on Twitter on August 18, 2012.…

March 23, 2020
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Please be patient with the bartender. Even a toilet can handle only one asshole at a time”

"Please be patient with the bartender/server. Even a toilet can handle/serve only one asshole at a time" is a sign at bars and restaurants that has been shown on many images.…

April 2, 2024
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Please burger, cheese” (restaurant order, a spoonerism for “Cheese burger, please”)

At a fast food restaurant's drive thru, a person might want to say "Cheeseburger, please," but it might come out as "Pleaseburger, cheese" (or "Please burger,…

August 23, 2015
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Please drink responsibly, but tip recklessly”

"Please drink responsibly, but tip recklessly" is a saying at many bars and restaurants. "Drink responsibly, tip recklessly" has been printed on many shirts. The jocular saying…

April 19, 2024
Banking/Finance/InsuranceMedia/Newspapers/Magazines/InternetRestaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food StoresWork/Businesses

“Please lower the cost of groceries. I’m not built for OnlyFans”

"Please lower the gas prices. I'm not built for OnlyFans" and "Please lower the cost of living. I'm not built for OnlyFans" are jocular sayings that have been printed…

April 2, 2024
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Pleaseburger, cheese” (restaurant order, a spoonerism for “Cheeseburger, please”)

At a fast food restaurant's drive thru, a person might want to say "Cheeseburger, please," but it might come out as "Pleaseburger, cheese" (or "Please burger,…

March 5, 2006
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Pop. 208 Elev. 100 ft.” (Burritoville)

Burritoville is a Mexican food chain that began in 1992 on 78th Street and First Avenue. There is no town of Burritoville, but each Burritoville restuarant declares a population of 208 and an…

February 9, 2020
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Preschool rules and bar rules are the same. You pee your pants, you go home”

"Preschool rules and bar rules are the same. You pee your pants, you go home" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "Nursery school rules and bar rules are the…

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

“Pro Tip: If you are at a nice restaurant and something on the menu is listed as ‘Market Price’, be sure to use a limit order to get a better deal”

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…

August 3, 2026
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Pronouncing Bojangles like Los Angeles”

Bojangles is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants. "Bojangles" is not pronounced like "Los Angeles," but some people do that as a joke. "Think I’m gonna…

March 30, 2020
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Put a different drink in every room of the house and pretend you’re on a pub crawl”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in many bars closing and in home quarantines. "If you like a pub crawl on Paddy’s Day why not do a room crawl. A drink or 2 in every room in your…

August 16, 2020
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores

“Putting on a mask to walk ten feet through a restaurant…”

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in some requirements to wear face masks. People were required to wear a face mask to enter a restaurant, only to take off the mask to eat. An explanation…

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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.

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