The phrase 'blue plate special' has always been one of the homiest, coziest, most sweetly nostalgic phrases in the English language for me.

The phrase in question refers to episodes in the past. It is obvious that there is no intention to arouse controversy with the People's Republic of China.

The phrase is supposed to be satirical, but lots of people don't see the subtext.

The phrase is 'Whatever can happen, does happen,' and it certainly fits for firearms. And I don't know how many instances you see some one says, 'I didn't know we had it,' or 'didn't think they could get,'

The phrase 'mad as a hatter' was coined because hat makers were poisoned by the high levels of mercury used in felt processing; these workers developed a strange, uneven gait as well as strange alterations in their personalities - traits that resembled mental instability.