Barefoot Pilgrim
A "barefoot pilgrim" was, originally, an unsophisticated car buyer -- someone who buys a car at the advertised sticker price and pays too much. This meaning of "barefoot…
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“Never invest in anything that eats or needs repainting”
"Never invest in anything that eats or needs (re)painting" is a caution against investing in horses and houses. New York theatrical showman Billy Rose (1899-1966) was cited in February…
“Locks are for honest people” (proverb)
"Locks are for honest men/people" is an old proverb in security departments. Burglars ("dishonest people") can break locks; the locks give the impression of security to keep…
“A closed mouth gathers no feet”
A politician can't suffer from "foot-in-mouth disease" (a gaffe) if he or she doesn't talk (have an "open mouth"). The proverb "a closed mouth gathers no…
“When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls” (Wall Street adage)
"When they raid the whorehouse, they take all the girls" is a Wall Street saying, meaning that when stocks start to strongly fall or to strongly rise, the market takes all the stocks in…
Bottomless Cup
A "bottomless cup" of coffee means that the establishment offers free refills of coffee. The coffee cup has a bottom, of course. The term "bottomless cup" dates to at least 1934…
“Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria”
Stock investor John Templeton (1912-2008) is credited with giving this investment wisdom in February 1994: "Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die…
Wazzitoyuh (“What’s it to you?”)
The Work Progress Administration's 1938 Almanac for New Yorkers contained a page about New York City speech: "Wazzitooyuh? Delicate rebuff to an excessively curious questioner." The…
“There are only two kinds of music—good music and bad music”
"There are only two kinds of music -- good (music) and bad (music)" is a saying associated with Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) -- two composers who died in New…
“Never trust a fat dietitian”
"Never trust a fat dietitian" (sometimes misspelled "dietician") is a humorous saying often credited to "anonymous." A dietitian who can't lose weight seemingly…
“When in doubt, do right” (“When in doubt, do the right thing”)
Claude A. Swanson (1862-1939), Virginia's U.S. Senator from 1910-1933, had a rule for new Congressmen that was published in Current Opinion in 1923: "When in doubt, do right."…
“A bureaucrat is a Democrat who holds an office that some Republican wants”
Alben W. Barkley (1877-1956), the vice president under President Harry Truman from 1949 to 1953, was the keynote speaker at the July 1948 Democratic National Convention. "What is a bureaucrat?…
“When the water reaches the upper decks, follow the rats”
Claude A. Swanson (1862-1939), Virginia's U.S. Senator from 1910-1933, had a rule for new Congressmen that was published in Current Opinion in 1923: "When the water rises to the second…
Calzone
Entry in progress -- B.P. Italian foods similar and often confused with the calzone include the stromboli, hippie roll/eppie roll and panzarotti/panzerotti. Wikipedia: CalzoneA calzone (Italian…
“Dinner is ready when the smoke alarm goes off”
"Dinner is ready when the smoke alarm goes off" is a joke that means the cook always burns the meal. The joke has been cited in print from at least 1983 and has been printed on many…
Treasure Island of America (Galveston nickname)
Galveston boasts the ruins of pirate Jean Lafitte's La Maison Rouge (1417 Avenue A near the Galveston wharf), destroyed in 1821 or 1822. In 1912, an enormous electric sign declared:…
Playground of the Southwest (Galveston nickname)
Galveston has been called the "Playground of the Southwest" since at least 1911, A 1918 newspaper explained the nickname: "An excellent beach, fishing, hunting, motoring and boating…
Free State of Galveston (Galveston nickname)
Galveston was nicknamed the "Free State of Galveston" during the Prohibition because of its illegal liquor, gambling and prostitution. The end of Prohibition and criminal investigations…
“Where there’s smoke, there’s toast”
"Where there's smoke, there's fire" is an old proverb. A popular variant is "where there's smoke, there's toast" -- meaning something was burnt. In the…
Derivatives Dealers’ Club
Robert E. Litan of The Brookings Institution coined the nickname "derivatives dealers' club" in his April 7, 2010 paper: "The Derivatives Dealers’ Club and Derivatives Markets…