“If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes”
Humorist Robert Benchley (1889-1945) used this line in the film The Road to Utopia (1946): "Did you ever stop to think of one of those dog sled teams? The lead dog is the only one that ever…
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“When you’re about to get run out of town on a rail, get out in front and call it a parade”
"When you’re about to get run out of town on a rail, get out in front and call it a parade" is an old saying of how to turn around a bad situation. The saying has been cited in print…
“Bears make headlines, bulls make money”
"Bears make the headlines and bulls make the money" was used by financial writer Malcolm Berko in 1990. In 1993, Berko wrote that, in 1963: "I had lunch with Bernard Baruch, and one…
“Elephants don’t gallop” (investment adage)
"Elephants don't gallop" is an investment adage that Jim Slater (a former investment columnist for London's Sunday Telegraph) made famous some time before 1993. Slater meant…
Land of Two Summers (Alamo city nickname)
The city of Alamo, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, is a popular destination for Winter Texans. Alamo has been nicknamed "Land of Two Summers," cited in print since at least 1978.…
Teh Blahz (The Blaze website nickname)
The Blaze is a conservative news website, founded by Fox News host Glenn Beck, that premiered on August 31, 2010. On October 30, 2010, commenter "epkkik851" at Media Matters for America…
Political Suicide
"Political suicide" is for a politician to support an unpopular (or highly contested) political position. For example, many people said that that it would be political suicide in 2009 for…
Hardball
Chris Matthews popularized the political term "hardball" with his book, Hardball: How politics is played, told by one who knows the game (1988), and his MSNBC political show (since 1999),…
“Bad politicians are elected by good citizens who don’t vote”
"Bad politicians are elected by good citizens who don't vote" has been attributed to drama critic George Jean Nathan (1882-1958), but there's no evidence that he said it first…
“Politicians see the light when they feel the heat”
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) said since at least 1975: "Our job is not to make congress see the light, but to feel the heat." Reagan used the saying several times during his U.S. presidency…
“Few die and none resign”
"Few die and none resign' (or "few die, none resign") has been said of public officeholders who live long and well on the government payroll. President Thomas Jefferson…
“Prosperity absorbs all criticism”
"Prosperity absorbs all criticism" is a political axiom popularized by Frank Kent (1877-1958), who wrote the newspaper column "The Great Game of Politics" for the Baltimore (MD)…
“No second prize in politics”
In an election, there is one winner, no matter how close the vote is. The saying that there's "no second prize in politics" was described as "an old political axiom" by…
District of Criminals (Washington, D.C. nickname)
The United States capital of Washington, District of Columbia ("DC"), has been nicknamed the "District of Criminals" since at least 1992. The "criminals" term usually…
“You’re either in Luck or you’re out of Luck” (Luck city slogan)
Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson bought land in central Texas and named the town "Luck." By at least 2003, the town's slogan was popularized: "You're either in Luck or out…
“In Iowa, they pick corn; in New Hampshire, they pick presidents”
New Hampshire likes to brag that its primary is more important that the Iowa caucus to the presidential election cycle. In 1988, Vice President George H. W. Bush lost the Iowa caucus to Kansas…
Nuclear Option
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Nuclear optionIn U.S. politics, the nuclear option allows the United States Senate to reinterpret a procedural rule by invoking the constitutional requirement…
“Like nailing jelly to the wall” (“Like nailing jello to the wall”)
"Like nailing jelly to the wall" means something difficult-to-impossible. Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) coined the expression in April 1912: "Somebody asked me why I did not get an…
“Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich”
"Politics is the art by which politicians obtain campaign contributions from the rich and votes from the poor on the pretext of protecting each from the other," wrote Oscar Ameringer…
“Any party which takes credit for the rain must take blame for the drought”
Dwight Morrow (1873-1931) gave a speech in October 1930, during his successful campaign for U.S. Senate from New Jersey: "Any party which takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its…