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December 2, 2025
Food/DrinkTransportation

“The existence of a gravy boat and a gravy train implies an entire gravy transportation system. Why isn’t anyone talking about this?”

A "gravy boat" is a sauce boat. A "gravy train" is a source of easy money. There are jokes about "gravy transportation." "There's a gravy boat and a gravy…

October 10, 2015
Transportation

“The in-flight movie was so bad, people were walking out”

Airplanes in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s showed a movie, and people did not have private screens or other devices that offered a choice of entertainment. The old joke went: "That…

April 13, 2021
Transportation

“The longest drum solo was 10 hours, 26 minutes & was performed by the child sitting behind me…”

Children on long flights can be annoying to other air passengers. This was posted on Twitter by Fake Music Facts on April 8, 2021: "The longest drum solo was 10 hours and 26 minutes and was…

May 1, 2023
Transportation

“The Lord moves in mysterious ways, but you don’t have to. Please use your blinker”

"The Lord moves in mysterious ways, but you don’t have to. Please use your blinker" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "Mysterious Ways" is a song by the Irish…

November 24, 2014
Transportation

“The most dangerous part of an automobile is the nut behind the wheel”

"The most dangerous part of an automobile is the nut behind the wheel" is an old saying about auto safety. The "nut" is the driver. The following poem was in the Brooklyn (NY)…

February 17, 2026
Transportation

“The name New York City Subway implies the existence of the New York City Domway and the New York City Versway”

“Dominance and submission” or “dom/sub” doesn't mean that for every "subway" there must exist also a "domway," but there are jokes. Some jokes involve the…

December 2, 2025
Food/DrinkGovernment/Law/Military/Religion /HealthTransportation

“The officer said, ‘You drinking?’ I said, ‘You buying?’ We just laughed and laughed. I need bail money”

A driving-under-the-influence (DUI) joke has been printed on many images. "OK.. word to the wise... when officer pulls you over and asks 'You drinking?'.... dont answer back by…

January 4, 2025
Transportation

“The only consistent thing in my life is that my check engine light is always on”

The "light of one's life" is often a person (such as a family member) or a religious figure (such as Jesus). A joke is that the only "light of one's life" that's…

January 4, 2025
Transportation

“The only thing lit in my life is my check engine light”

The "light of one's life" is often a person (such as a family member) or a religious figure (such as Jesus). A joke is that the only "light of one's life" that's…

September 15, 2015
Transportation

“The only thing not delivered by a truck is a baby”

"The only thing not delivered by a truck is a baby" is a jocular saying that has been printed on bumper stickers. The saying has been cited in print since at least 2000. "If you…

February 26, 2013
Transportation

“The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire” (aviation adage)

"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire" is often said to be a pilot's axiom or aviation adage. The saying is sometimes credited to Australian aviator…

February 24, 2017
Transportation

“The problem with drinking and driving is that trees defend themselves very well”

"The problem with drinking and driving is that trees defend themselves very well" is a one-line saying that has been printed on GIFs. The saying was first posted on Twitter on July 19,…

June 23, 2022
Transportation

“The prophecy has been fulfilled” ($7.11 gas at 7-Eleven store)

7-Eleven retail convenience stores were named after the hours 7 a.m. (opening) and 11 p,m, (closing), although many stores are now open all 24 hours a day. An interesting occurrence is when it…

June 23, 2023
Transportation

“The scariest part of that song ‘Born to be Wild’ is when they find a head out on the highway”

The song "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, featured in the motorcycle travel movie Easy Rider (1969), contains the lyrics, "Head out on the highway." "I think the scariest…

June 28, 2017
Transportation

“The shortest distance between two points is always under construction”

"How come the shortest distance between two points is always under construction?" is a jocular line about driving that was published in Changing Times -- The Kiplinger Magazine in…

May 11, 2015
Transportation

“The Staten Island Ferry is the poor man’s Circle Line”

The Circle Line is sightseeing service that operates in New York's waterways; a tour guide explains the attractions. The Staten Island Ferry goes from lower Manhattan to Staten Island and…

January 6, 2017
Transportation

“The Statue of Liberty has been trying to hail a taxi for years!”

New York City's Statue of Liberty has one arm raised that holds a torch. The original name for the statue is "Liberty Enlightening the World." But what if the statue had been simply…

March 11, 2020
Transportation

“The subway is just a moving waiting room”

Various forms of transportation have been described as "a moving waiting room." "Traveling is kind of like sitting in a moving waiting room" was posted on Reddit --…

March 4, 2013
Transportation

“There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots”

"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots" is an old aviation adage. Harry Copland (1896-1976), who first flew in an airplane in 1911, made the…

March 5, 2013
Pets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)Transportation

“There is nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse” (horse-riding adage)

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man" (that is, riding a horse improves a person's mental or physical health) has often been credited…

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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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