“Records are made to be broken”
"Records are made to be broken" is a popular sports saying. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) wrote in 1738, "Promises and Pye-crust are made to be broken." The "records"…
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“If you can’t win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record”
"If you can't win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record" is a popular adage in track and field. The saying means that if you can't win, you at least know that the…
“A fool and his money are soon elected”
"A fool and his money are soon parted" is a popular English proverb that dates to the 1500s. An American version is "a fool and his money are soon elected," meaning that money…
“Dead voters vote Democrat”
Political campaigns target to win various groups, such as the Black vote or the Jewish vote or the Hispanic vote. Who wins the dead vote (i.e., voter fraud)? Chicago has had a reputation of dead…
Stump Speech
A "stump speech" originally was a speech (often given by a political candidate) where the speaker stands on a tree stump. The term "stump speech" has been cited in print since…
Clowndidate (clown + candidate)
"Clowndidate" (clown + candidate) is a term used by those who believe that a candidate running for office is a clown (or fool). The term "clowndidate" has been cited in print…
“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore”
"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" is a bit of monetary nonsense that has been credited to New York Yankee baseball great Yogi Berra since at least 1979. A nickel (five cents) is…
“It’s always better to be a pallbearer than to be a body”
Ann Richards (1933-2006), who served as Texas governor from 1991 to 1995, said in 1997: "You know, there's an old Texas political proverb that says: It's always better to be a…
Barclays Center Classic (Brooklyn Hoops)
The Barclays Center is a sports arena in Brooklyn. In November 2011, Barclays announced that it would open its arena on November 9, 2012 with the college basketball "Barclays Center…
“A friend in need is a damned nuisance”
"A friend (when one is in) need is a friend indeed" is an English proverb almost as old as England. An American spin to "a friend in need" defines this as "a needy…
“Shopping days until Christmas”
Many newspaper articles and advertisements count down the number of "shopping days until/'til/till Christmas/Xmas." The "shopping days till Christmas" ads date to at least…
“There’s no crying in baseball!” (“There’s no sentiment in baseball”)
It has long been said that baseball is a business and "there is no sentiment in baseball." Players get bought and sold and traded. The Players' League of 1890 tested the…
“Once you get Florida sand in your shoes, you never want to leave”
"Once you get Florida sand in your shoes, you never want to leave" (or "you will always return/come back") is a popular Florida saying that has spread to anyplace with sand. The…
“Trade follows the flag”
The slogan "trade follows the flag" dates to at least 1862, when the Union tried to discourage trade with the Confederacy. The saying became very popular in the second half of the 19th…
“It’s a free country!”
"It's a free country!" means that the speaker believes that he or she can disagree with another and do something that another disapproves of. The saying has a long history in the…
Destination Restaurant
A "destination restaurant" is a restaurant that draws people from beyond its neighborhood to specifically eat there. Destination restaurants can be theme restaurants or high quality…
Tip Jar
Many sandwich shops, coffee houses and ice cream shops have a "tip jar" (or "tip jug" or "tip can") near the cash register so that satisfied customers can add a…
“Piss on the fire and call in the dogs”
To "piss on the (camp)fire and call in the dogs" is an alleged cowboy saying for quitting time. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1969 and has been used by many Texas…
POSX (U.S. Dollar Index or USDX nickname)
The U.S. Dollar Index (USDX) began in March 1973 and indexes the value of the United States dollar to foreign currencies. Turd Ferguson, of the blog TF Metals Report (his previous blog was…
Cowboys Classic (college football game)
The Cowboys Classic is an annual opening weekend college football game played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The first game was played on September 5, 2009. The name "Cowboys…