“Done like a dinner”
To be "done like a dinner" is to be finished and utterly defeated. "We did him then, and I'm glad he's done now: such a man as that ought to be done like a dinner" was…
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“The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores”
College basketball coach and television commentator Al McGuire (1928-2001) is credited for saying, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." That is, a college…
Vaticanista (Vatican correspondent)
"Vaticanista" is an Italian word meaning a news correspondent in Vatican City who reports on the Holy See. The term "Vaticanista" (also "vaticanista") usually appears…
Selection Sunday
"Selection Sunday" is commonly known as the day college basketball teams are selected to participate in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament, but the term…
Bracketology (Bracketologist)
"Bracketology" is a term that began to describe the participants in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament. A "bracketologist" examines the college…
Uncle Sam Day
U.S. President George H. W. Bush declared "Uncle Sam Day" for September 13, 1989. The date September 13, 1766 was the birthday of Samuel Wilson, the Troy (NY) meat packer who some believe…
“Peace through strength”
"Peace through strength" is said, in the Wikipedia entry, to date back to Roman times. However, English language citations of the saying are almost nonexistent until the 1930s. Prime…
MSNBC White (CNN nickname)
CNN is a U.S. cable news channel that was founded in 1980. The blog Ace of Spades HQ nicknamed CNN as "MSNBC White" (after MSNBC, the progressive political news and opinion channel)…
Bailout
A "bail out" (now the one-word "bailout") is a financial rescue to a failing entity, such as a government loan to support a failing bank. The term began in 1932 with the…
Bail-In
An opposite term to the "bailout" (giving a loan to a company or country which faces serious financial difficulty) is the "bail-in" In May 1998, The Independent (UK) declared:…
Dependistan
"Dependistan" (depend + -stan, such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) is a term than means a country where the population relies…
“In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of baseball”
English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) wrote in "Locksley Hall": "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." Baseball's spring…
Filibluster (filibuster + bluster)
"Filibluster" (filibuster + bluster) is a term that describes a filibuster speech as mostly bluster. "Filibluster" has been cited in print since at least March 1941. The term…
“The personal is political”
"The Personal Is Political" is the title of Carol Hanisch's February 1969 paper that was printed in Notes from the Second Year: Women's Liberation; Major Writings of the Radical…
“If you’re injured, you don’t play; if you play, you’re not injured”
"If you’re injured, you don’t play; if you play, you’re not injured" has been credited to Australian tennis coach Harry Hopman (1906-1985). It's not known when he first said…
“Good people drink good beer”
"Good people drink good beer" is a saying that has been printed on many posters. American author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005) created the "Good people drink good…
“Losing hurts more than winning feels good”
"Losing hurts worse than winning feels good" is from the book Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You (1979), by American humorist Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994). Sportscaster and author Joe…
“You make more money selling advice than following it”
Steve Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine, said in 1979: "Also keep in mind when reading advice what this 'expert's' grandfather liked to say: 'We make more money selling…
New York Fucking City (New York Fuckin’ City)
"New York Fucking City" (or "New York Fuckin' City") has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts and hats. The saying can have various meanings -- that New York…
“Reporters are never on vacation” (journalism adage)
Entry in progress -- B.P. PoynterGone Fishin’: Why vacations matterby Chip ScanlanPublished June 18, 2007 10:09 am(...)Writers are never on vacation. Deadlines loom even when you’re sitting on…