“Show, don’t tell” (scriptwriting adage)
"Show (them), don't tell (them)" is a popular adage told to writers of all kinds, but especially drama scriptwriters. The audience must learn about a character through action and…
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“You never cut funny” (scriptwriting adage)
The movie My Favorite Year (1982) was based on the Sid Caesar variety television show Your Show of Shows (1950-1954) -- a live television comedy legacy in New York City continued with Saturday…
“Eat Right. Exercise. Die Anyway.”
"Eat right, exercise, die anyway" is a popular slogan on many gift items, such as T-shirts and bumper stickers. The last line -- "die anyway" -- is the one constant; no one can…
“I’m not unemployed—I’m a consultant”
"I'm not unemployed -- I'm a consultant" is a popular T-shirt saying. A consultant can be in a self-employed, one-person business. Employment for a consultant can be irregular,…
“Advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on”
Madison Avenue adman Jerry Della Femina wrote in his book, From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor: Front-Line Dispatches From The Advertising War (1970): "There are ugly people…
“Those who go to college and never get out are called professors”
"Those who go to college and never get out are called professors" is a jocular line by the dialect actor George Givot (1903-1984), cited in print since at least April 1936. The saying has…
“The state does nothing, and can give nothing, which it does not take from somebody”
William Graham Sumner (1840-1910), a Yale professor often called the "father of sociology," wrote in 1887: "The state, it can not too often be repeated, has nothing, and can give…
“A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep”
"A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep" is a jocular quotation that has been attributed to the poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973) since at least 1940. The quotation has…
“Firearms…are the American people’s liberty teeth” (George Washington?)
George Washington (1732-1799) is sometimes given credit for a "liberty teeth" quotation supporting the second amendment right to bear arms, but the quotation has been identified as bogus…
“Here’s to a long life and a merry one…” (toast)
A popular anonymous "Irish toast" is: “Here’s to a long life and a merry one.A quick death and an easy one.A pretty girl and an honest one.A cold beer—and another one!” The toast…
“In Vino Veritas, In Cervesio Felicitas” (“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is joy”)
"In vino veritas" is an ancient Latin phrase meaning "in wine there is truth." The saying arises from the belief that alcohol releases inhibitions and that a person tells the…
“Shoes are required to eat in the cafeteria; socks can eat any place they want”
"Shoes are required to eat in the cafeteria" is an old joke sign that supposedly appeared in a college cafeteria in 1975. Underneath the sign was scribbled, "Socks can eat any place…
“I used up all my sick days, so I called in dead” (workplace saying)
"I used up all my sick days, so I called in dead" (or "I ran out of sick days, so I called in dead") is an office saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as…
Micro Apartment
In July 2012, New York City announced plans for proposed "micro-unit" apartments (under 450 square feet) for a city-owned building at 335 East 27th Street, in the Kips Bay neighborhood of…
Bungler-in-Chief (an incompetent top executive)
"Bungler-in-chief" (or "bungler in chief") means any incompetent top executive. The term "bungler-in-chief" has been cited in print in 1917, 1967 and 1987, but the…
Vaporize (money that vanishes)
Money that is "vaporized" is money that has vanished, probably never return. The financial firm of MF Global declared bankruptcy on October 31, 2011; it was reported that client funds had…
Bureaucratese or Bureaucrapese (bureaucratic language)
"Bureaucratese" is a language spoken or written by bureaucrats, also often called "officialese" or "legalese" or "federalese" or "governmentese."…
“Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs”
"Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" means to be very nervous -- the cat must not get the tail caught under a rocking chair. The syndicated newspaper column…
Just Over Broke (“job” backronym)
The word "job" is not an acronym for anything, but some have used the backronym (back acronym) of "just over broke." The backronym has been applied to minimum wage and other…
“One reason why I don’t drink is because I wish to know when I am having a good time”
Nancy Astor (1879-1964) is often cited for the quotation, "One reason why I don't drink is because I wish/want to know when I am having a good time." This quotation appears to be a…