Example: When I land my movie contract we will be in fat city.
Origin: This is a type of slang that adds city to a word to indicate a "location" of some condition -- "if you do that you'll end up in trouble city." And of course "fat" has been used for centuries as a synonym for rich and well-to-do people. From the fact that only the rich had the money to buy the food and the servants to do the work -- both things adding to their size.
The idea that gout is a rich-man's disease is from the rich foods of the wealthy contributing to the medical condition.
Meaning: Someone who missed out on an opportunity for success.
Example: He had a chance to by Microsoft stock at 50 cents a share in 1980, he has been the fifth beatle his whole life.
Origin: The original "Fifth Beatle" was Brian Epstein (1934-67), the manager of the Beatles, so dubbed, much to his annoyance, by Murray the K, an American disc jockey, in 1964.
More fitting of the title is Pete Best, an original member of the band who was replaced by Ringo Starr shortly before the band's arrival in the US. The Beatles of course went on to be fabulously successful, and Pete Best a footnote in history.
Some think Pete Best was pretty badly treated as he was dumped from the group. The Beatles and their publishers hid this fact as they managed their press like no previous musical group in history. He was apparently very talented.
Meaning: To find value or good where none is evident.
Example: Okay, so we are out of work, have a big mortgage, and no job prospects in site. Things don't look good but what we need to do find the pony in all this.
Origin: From an old joke about two brothers, one an optimist, the other a pessimist. One Christmas the boy's parents set out to get presents. Knowing the pessimist son was hard to please the parents first tried to find him a present, but each idea considered was rejected because the parents were sure the boy would be dissatisfied. Finally they decided to get the boy a shiny new bicycle.
Unfortunately they spent so much time trying to pick the present for the pessimist son that they had little time left for the optimist son. Not to worry they reasoned, he is easy to please. So they collected some horse droppings from the barn, put them in a box, and gift wrapped the package.
On Christmas day the pessimistic son opened his present first. Predictably he was unhappy with the bicycle being certain he would fall and injure himself.
The optimistic son then opened his package. With great enthusiasm he began to empty the horse droppings from the box as he exclaimed "I know there is a pony in here somewhere".
The phrase "find the pony" was popularized by President Ronald Reagan who used it in a press conference.
Interestingly this phrase has a very different meaning to Brits. The problem of horse droppings accumulating in the streets in the days of horse and buggy prompted the use of a trap. The trap is a bag suspended behind the horse to catch the droppings. The phrase "Trap and pony" came to mean horse droppings. In time the phrase has been shortened to just pony".
Hence in England "Find the pony" would mean to find the horse droppings.
Example: You put a feather in your cap when you bought lunch for the boss's secretary.
Origin: It was once a common practice to award a feather to a soldier who had killed an enemy. These feathers were worn on the helmet, or other headgear and were considered symbols of social status much as modern soldiers receive and display medals.
When American Indians performed bravely in battle, they would receive a feather to add to their headdress. The more feathers on an Indian's headdress, the better the warrior.
