Un-American Statesman (Austin American-Statesman nickname)
The Austin American-Statesman is the daily newspaper for the capital city of Austin. The Democratic Statesman dates back to 1871, and today's newspaper is called "The Statesman" for…
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Maven or Mavin
A "maven" (or "mavin") is an expert in a certain field. The word comes from Yiddish and Hebrew is is first cited in English in 1907. Heinz used the word "mayvin' to…
American Exceptionalism
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: American exceptionalismAmerican exceptionalism (def. "exceptionalism") refers to the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among the…
“It’s not what you know, but who you know”
"It's not what you know, but who you know" is a saying used in both business and government. The origin of the saying is unclear, but there are two labor citations of the phrase in…
“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’”
"There's no 'I' in 'team'" is a sports saying to encourage teamwork. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Vern Law listed "There is no 'I' in team" as…
“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikiquote: LuckI am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have. . Coleman Cox, in Listen to this (1922). Unsourced variant: The harder I…
“I’m so poor I can’t afford to pay attention”
"I'm so poor I can't afford to pay attention" is a quip that's found its way onto T-shirts. The saying is cited in print from at least 1964, but became popular in the 1990s…
Soup Sandwich
The term "as sloppy as a soup sandwich" was printed in the Daily News (New York, NY) on January 28, 1977. "Sloppy as a soup sandwich" was entered in the "Canonical List of…
Cowgirls (Dallas Cowboys nickname)
The Dallas Cowboys football team has many fans, but also many detractors. Some of these detractors (or fans critical of the team) use the feminine of cowboy -- cowgirl. The team has been derided…
“Four cents short of a nickel”
"Four cents short of a nickel" is a description of someone who is "not all there." The expression is found on many lists of "full deckisms" (that is, "he's…
Football Bat (Hockey Cleats; Hockey Court)
There is no such thing as a "football bat." There is a "baseball bat." The expression "queer as a football bat" (or "as messed up/screwed up/fucked up as a…
Jurassic Park (Morgan Stanley office for its older bankers)
The financial firm of Morgan Stanley moved its "dinosaur" investment banking partners to a floor in a building at 1221 Avenue of the Americas in New York City, a few blocks from Morgan…
Political Pundit (Punditry)
"Pundit" is a Sanskrit word (cited in print from the 1600s) meaning "a learned man." Modern "pundits" are experts or commentators in their fields. A "pundit"…
“Like a kid in a candy store” (many temptations)
"Like a kid in a candy store" is an expression that means there are many wonderful choices/temptations for an individual. (A kid loves candy and a candy store has lots of it.) Citations…
“There is a providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children, and the United States of America”
"There is a providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children, and the United States of America" is often said to be a quotation of Otto von Bismarck (1818-1898). The quotation in the…
Hairy Man (Bigfoot/Sasquatch-type legend)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Hairy Man FestivalThe History of the Hairy Man Festival The Hairy Man Festival has been an annual event since 1994. It is a family-oriented festival that has raised…
“Too small to bail”
"Too small to bail" is the opposite of "too big to fail." A company that is very large is sometimes deemed "too big to fail" because many other companies would fail…
Fauxthor (faux author)
The website Pimp My Wry (written by Kim Ficera) coined the term "fauxthor" (faux author) on May 14, 2009. The term refers to a politician or celebrity who "authors" a book --…
The United States of Goldman Sachs
Hank Paulson, a former chairman and chief executive officer of the financial firm of Goldman Sachs, was United States Treasury Secretary from July 2, 2006-January 20, 2009. The influence of Goldman…
Vampire Squid (Goldman Sachs nickname)
Matt Taibbi wrote in Rolling Stone of Jul 13, 2009: "The first thing you need to know about Goldman Sachs is that it's everywhere. The world's most powerful investment bank is a…