“Coffee (n): break fluid”
"Coffee" has been defined as "break fluid" -- a pun on the terms "coffee break" and "brake fluid." The saying is sold on coffee mugs (of course) and has been…
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“A morning without coffee is like sleep”
An advertisement that ran in the 1970s told people that "A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine." What is a morning without coffee? "A morning without coffee is…
Oxford English Dictionary “Big Apple” definition (September 2008)
In September 2008, the Oxford English Dictionary added a full "Big Apple" definition. I contributed to some of this, but did not write the definition. (I wasn't even given a…
“Recipe: A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing ingredients you forgot to buy…’
"Recipe -- A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing ingredients you forgot to buy in utensils you don't own to make a dish the dog won't eat the rest of." This…
“How do you like them apples?”
"How do you like them apples?" (or "How do you like those apples?") means "How do you like that? or "What do you think of that?" The circumstances…
“Forget love—I’d rather fall in chocolate”
"Forget love -- I'd rather fall in chocolate" (or "Forget love -- I want to fall in chocolate") is a popular saying around Valentine's Day. The saying is usually given…
“Dieting is wishful shrinking”
"Wishful thinking" is wanting an event to happen and, perhaps, ignoring painful realities. The term "wishful thinking" is cited in the early 1900s. "Reducing is wishful…
“A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit”
"A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit" (or, "Dieting is the penalty for exceeding the feed limit") is a food pun on the familiar "exceeding the speed…
Duck Soup
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Duck SoupDuck Soup is a 1933 Marx Brothers anarchic comedy film written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat…
“Easy as pie”
Something that is "easy as pie" is something that is very simple and easy. "Easy as pie" has been cited in print since at least 1879. "Easy as eating pie" -- perhaps…
“Piece of cake”
Entry in progress -- B.P. “Lasagna is one of the easiest meals to make. It’s a pizza cake” and “It’s pretty easy to make a deep dish pizza. It’s like a pizza cake” are related jokes.…
“Takes the cake”
Something "takes the cake" was originally something very good (as if winning a cake as a prize), but now is used mostly in the ironic sense of something very unusual or very bad.…
“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand”
"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand" has become a popular phrase, frequently listed along with other pieces of kitchen wisdom. The "cookie" version became popular from…
“In the soup”
"In the soup" means to be in the thick of troubles; the slang phrase achieved nationwide popularity in the fall of the election year of 1888. The phrase was popularized in New York City,…
“Packed like sardines”
Since at least the 1900s, passengers on New York City's trains have been described as "packed like sardines." Sardines are packed together tightly in cans, with little space…
“Our credit manager is Helen Waite. If you want credit, go to Helen Waite.”
Many businesses are cash-only and a few display this sign: "Our credit manager is Helen Waite. If you want credit, go to Helen Waite." Hell-and-wait, get it? The business sign dates to at…
“The best way to rob a bank is to own one”
On June 13, 1987, William Crawford, the California savings and loan commissioner, testified before Congress on the growing Savings & Loan crisis of the 1980s: "We build thick walls, we…
Golden Slacks (Goldman Sachs nickname)
Goldman Sachs is a leading financial firm, headquartered in lower Manhattan. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the company made so much money (and made its employees so wealthy) that it was nicknamed…
Golden Sacks (Goldman Sachs nickname)
Goldman Sachs is a leading financial firm, headquartered in lower Manhattan. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the company made so much money (and made its employees so wealthy) that it was nicknamed…
“Can’t dance and it’s too wet to plow”
"Can't dance and it's too wet to plow" means the same as "might as well" (that is, there's nothing else one can do). The phrase is cited in Ken Kesey's…