Democrat Party or Democratic Party (usage)
"Democrat party" is a name used by many Republicans to describe what Democrats themselves call the "Democratic party." The Republican reasoning is that there are…
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People’s Republic of Park Slope (Park Slope)
Park Slope, Brooklyn, became gentrified in the 1990s and 2000s, filled with young families that found Manhattan unaffordable. The new residents were mostly liberal/progressive and Park Slope was…
Stroller Nazi; Stroller Mafia
Child strollers can take up a large portion of the sidewalk. A "stroller Nazi" describes a person (usually a mother) who aggressively drives a stroller down the sidewalk, forcing other…
“That’s the way baseball go”
The 2010 Texas Rangers baseball club won the American League Championship Series over the New York Yankees, but lost the World Series to the San Francisco Giants. Manager Ron Washington's…
“Greed is good”
"Greed is good" became popular from a 1986 speech by financier Ivan Boesky and the movie Wall Street (1987), but neither source used the exact line. Boesky, giving the commencement speech…
“Gridlock is good”
"Gridlock" is a term from the New York City streets, describing when the "grid" (intersection) is "locked" (full of cars unable to move). The term was popularized in…
“Pig through the python” (“Pig in a python”)
The "pig in a python" syndrome or effect (also "pig in the python," "pig through a python" and "pig through the python") describes swallowing and digesting…
“Soup is liquid comfort”
"Soup is liquid comfort" has appeared on a few lists of food quotations, but there is no obvious source of the saying. The term "liquid comfort" has long been applied to…
“If all economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion”
"If economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion" is a quip usually attributed to George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), but there is no evidence that he said it. In May…
Prewalking
"Prewalking" means to stand at the subway platform and board the train in the subway car that will save the most walking time upon exit. "Prewalking" was the Urban…
“American politics are played between the 40-yard lines”
"There's an old saying that politics in America is played between the 40-yard lines," wrote Fred Barnes (see 1988 citation below). "What this means, for those unfamiliar with…
“I’m not gaining weight—I’m retaining food”
"I'm not gaining weight -- I'm retaining food" is a saying that's been placed on T-shirts and bumper stickers. The saying has been cited in print since at least 2006.…
Gravitas
'Gravitas" (Latin for "gravity," or "weight" or "heaviness") is something many people look for in political leaders. It implies a certain seriousness and…
Great Right Hope (Great White Hope)
Jack Johnson (1878-1946) became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion in 1908. On July 4, 1910, former champion Jim Jeffries (1875-1953) un-retired to fight Johnson. Jeffires was called…
“I would cook dinner, but I can’t find the can opener”
"I would cook dinner, but I can't find the can opener!" is a joke indicating that the speaker can't cook fresh, healthy food. The saying has appeared on a list of "Kitchen…
“Sleep ‘til you’re hungry, eat ‘til you’re sleepy”
"Eat when you're hungry" is an old saying and has been cited in print since at least 1841. In the 1880s, former Chicago mayor "Long John" Wentworth (1815-1888) said:…
“Four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate truffles”
Chocolate lovers often say that there are "four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate truffles." The saying has been cited in print since at…
“Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" is often incorrectly credited to Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), but Emerson never wrote it.…
“George Washington slept here”
Historic American inns often make the overused claim: "George Washington slept here." George Washington fought in New York City and was inaugurated president in New York City (briefly the…
Fweedom (freedom + weed)
"Fweedom" (freedom + weed) is a word used by people who want to legalize marijuana in the United States. At the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert "Rally to Restore Sanity" in…