“Return of principal is more important than return on principal”
Entry in progress -- B.P. 29 April 1997, Providence (RI) Journal, "Out-of-state banking requires care" by Neil Downing, pg. E1:"It's the old Will Rogers maxim: Return of…
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“The stock market has spoiled more appetites than bad cooking”
"The stock market has spoiled more appetites than bad cooking" is a slightly incorrect quotation by humorist WIll Rogers (1879-1935). The actual quote, recorded in a newspaper on November…
“Our Constitution protects aliens, drunks and United States senators”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Will RogersWilliam Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator,…
Big Chilli (summary)
Thai cooking uses many types of chili peppers. Bangkok (Thailand's capital) is sometimes called the "Big Chilli," mainly because of a magazine by that name that was started in 1999.…
Vanity Address
A "vanity address" is an address that the building owner requests from the borough president's office. In Manhattan, for example, a Fifth Avenue address might sound better than a…
“Money in politics is like squeezing a balloon” (air/water is displaced)
Money in politics has often been described as “like squeezing a balloon" —that is, the air/water gets displaced within the balloon but doesn't leave it. The political adage has been…
Wingtard (wingnut + retard)
"Wingtard" (wingnut + retard) is an epithet used against someone either on the right wing or the left wing, although the right wing use is more common. "Wingtard" has been cited…
“Money in politics is like water flowing downhill” (unstoppable)
Money in politics has often been described as "like water flowing downhill' (or "like water running downhill") -- in other words, an inevitable force of nature's gravity.…
“Deal with the devil if the devil has a constituency—and don’t complain about the heat”
"Deal with the devil if the devil has a constituency -- and don't complain about the heat" has been credited to science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. The quotation has…
“When in charge, ponder; When in trouble, delegate; When in doubt, mumble”
James Harlan Boren was amused by government bureaucracy and fromed the National Association of Pofessional Bureaucrats (NATAPROBU). The organization's coat of arms was a duck snarled in red…
“If it ain’t burnt, momma didn’t cook it”
'If it ain't burnt, momma didn't cook it" (or, "If it ain't burnt, momma didn't make it") is a saying that's been on signs since at least 2003. The…
“Saddle your hoss before cussin’ the boss”
"Saddle your hoss before cussin' the boss" is a Texas-type saying that has appeared on signs since at least 2003. The Saltgrass Steak House restaurants have such a sign in the bar…
“Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.”
American investor Warren Buffett has two investment rules: Rule No. 1. Never lose money.Rule No. 2. Never forget Rule No. 1. Buffett has been cited with these rules since at least August 1985.…
“Every time history repeats itself, the price goes up”
"History repeats itself" is an old proverb. In February 1944, a new slant to the proverb appeared in a Los Angeles (CA) newspaper: "After reading about the cost of the present war…
“Taxpayer: Someone who works for the government but doesn’t have to take a civil service exam”
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) said in June 1965: ""A taxpayer? That's someone who works for the government who doesn't have to take a civil service exam." The quip has been…
Spit-take
Danny Thomas (of television's Make Room for Daddy, or The Danny Thomas Show, from 1953-1964) is credited for either inventing or popularizing the "spit-take." He would take a drink…
Yomentum (“yo” or “yes” momentum)
A minority party is sometimes called a "party of 'no,'" saying "no" to the majority party's agenda. When members of the majority party also disagree with some of…
“(I’ll give you my gun when you take it) From my cold, dead hands”
"I will give up my gun when they pry my cold, dead fingers from around it" is a bumper sticker slogan supporting gun rights and dating from at least March 1972. "I'll give up my…
“There are old traders and bold traders, but there are no old, bold traders”
"There are old traders around and there are bold traders around, but there are no old, bold traders around" has been attributed to Bob Dinda, some time in the 1980s. The Wall Street maxim…
“A dollar-three-eighty”
"A dollar three-eighty" means a small (or unknown) amount, given in a nonsense language. The term appears in the Texas Crude (1984) slang collection and it has been described (below) as…