James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., often referred to as Boswell’s Life of Johnson, is one of the most famous biographies ever written and the best known source…
The dual anniversary of Joe McCarthy’s “Red Scare” and Jerry Falwell’s “Purple Scare”…
Two notorious warnings about threats to the American way of life are linked to the date February 9th. In both cases, the quotes generated national attention when they were reported…
Notable quotes quote lists of 2018 (updated)…
EDITOR’S NOTE: This an updated post that fixes some typos and links. I had previously posted the unedited draft by accident. Sorry about that. Every December, I like to read…
“Baseball been berry, berry good to me!” – the famous SNL catchphrase of Garrett Morris as Chico Escuela…
If you’re old enough to have been watching Saturday Night Live in the late Seventies you might have been watching Episode 5 of Season 4 when it first aired on…
“Coffee, Tea or Me?” – the catchphrase popularized by a hoax based on a joke…
Back in the 1960s, when air travel was more pleasant and our culture was less politically correct, airline stewardesses were hot – at least in terms of their popular image.…
The story, the man – and the dog – behind the phrase “man’s best friend”
September 23rd is the anniversary of what is said to be the origin of a dog-related saying that’s as or more famous than “Love me, love my dog.” The saying…
“Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,” the song that made a pioneering Black songwriter famous — and infamous…
How will Rap and Hip Hop songs by Black musicians that use the N-word and seemingly glorify the “thug life” be viewed 140 years from now? I don’t know…
“Don’t Bogart that joint, my friend…”
[Reposted by popular demand…] On June 24, 1968, ABC Records released the self-titled first album by The Fraternity of Man, a California-based rock band whose members included former Mothers of…
Reports of Mark Twain’s quip about his death are greatly misquoted…
In May 1897, the great American humorist, novelist and social critic Samuel Clemens — best known by his pen name, Mark Twain — was in London. It was one of…