Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Humor

Expect Stories, One-liners, and Satire that Make the Point and Make You Laugh

Welcome to Humor—where I translate real life into laughs without losing the truth.

These posts deliver witty commentary, satire, and observational stories drawn from real estate, mortgage lending, private money, government policy, bureaucracy, and the economy.

Expect sharp takes on incentives, second-order effects, and the unintended consequences that show up after the press conference—usually with a bill attached. If you like humor that exposes the script while keeping you entertained, start here.

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‘Trimming the Fat:’ Understanding the Metaphorical Usage

The idiom ‘trimming fat’ originates from the literal practice of butchering meat. Still, it has now been metaphorically extended to mean removing unnecessary or non-essential parts of something to improve its efficiency.

What happens when someone around you, an employer, a business associate, a friend, or your family, treats you like a jester, reflecting their hostility toward you?

A jester is a historical entertainer, most associated with medieval and Renaissance courts. Their primary role was to amuse royalty and nobles through humor, storytelling, music, juggling, and satire. Jesters often wore brightly colored costumes and a distinctive hat with bells.

Humor as a Weapon: The Psychology Behind Jokes That Hurt

Humor is often viewed as harmless fun—a means to bond, lighten the mood, and make life more enjoyable. However, humor can also be weaponized, becoming a subtle yet powerful tool for control, dominance, and even hostility. Unlike direct aggression, weaponized humor hides behind a smile, making it harder to confront. Let’s explore the psychology behind this phenomenon and how to recognize and respond to it.

Humor for Emotional Health: What Science Says

Humor is often described as “the best medicine,” but this isn’t just a cliché—scientific research increasingly supports the idea that laughter and humor play a vital role in emotional and physical well-being. From reducing stress hormones to improving cognitive function, humor is a powerful, evidence-based tool for mental health.

Hog Wild: What is the Origin and Meaning

The phrase “hog wild” is an American idiom that means acting in an unrestrained, reckless, or enthusiastic manner, often with a sense of going overboard or losing self-control. People and groups become crazy and excited.

“Left Out in the Cold:” The Origin and Evolution of

The phrase “left out in the cold” paints a vivid picture that resonates with us all: the feeling of being excluded from warmth and safety, forced to endure harsh conditions outside. Its literal roots likely trace to the late 19th century, when it described someone physically denied entry to a home or shelter during cold weather. Over time, this image evolved into a figurative expression for exclusion, neglect, or abandonment—whether social, political, or professional.

“Left Holding the Bag:” The Origin and Evolution

Early roots (Britain, 1600s–1700s). The ancestor of the expression was the British phrase “to give someone the bag to hold,” meaning to distract or abandon someone while others made off with the valuables—a figurative way of leaving a victim “in the lurch.” This phrase, which originated in the 17th–18th centuries in Britain, evolved to the modern usage of ‘left holding the bag’, with the focus shifting from the act of abandoning to the victim who is left with the unwanted burden.

“Bite the Bullet:” History and usage

The idiom “bite the bullet” is a testament to human courage, as it means to face a painful or difficult situation with bravery and without complaint

“Rule the Roost:” Origin and Usage

The phrase “rule the roost” means to be in charge or dominate a situation, and it dates to the 18th century in its current form. However, its earlier version was “rule the roast,” which appeared as early as the early 1500s, reflecting the historical and cultural context of the time.

The Healing Power of Humor in the Workplace and Beyond

In today’s high-pressure environment, stress and burnout are common challenges for professionals. One often-looked solution? Humor.

“A Hill of Beans” Origin and Meaning

The phrase “a hill of beans” means something of little or no value, and it’s most often used in negative statements like “It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.”

Left High and Dry: Origin and Meaning

The phrase “left high and dry” has an interesting origin and meaning:

“Send in the Clowns.” Origin and Meaning.

The phrase “send in the clowns” has both a literal origin and a figurative meaning that evolved:

Mark Twain: The Life and Times

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, and grew up in Hannibal. This Mississippi River town later inspired the fictional St. Petersburg in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His childhood was marked by both idyllic river life and harsh realities like poverty, disease, and slavery, which profoundly influenced his later writings.

The Psychological Symbolism of Winnie the Pooh: A Cohesive Portrait of Personalities—and the Role of Tigger’s Exuberance

The world of the Hundred Acre Wood is a captivating casebook of human temperament. Each character, with their distinct emotional style or motivational tendency, contributes to a balanced ecosystem of traits. This intricate balance is a fascinating study in how differences in energy, mood, and control can clash yet also complement one another when guided by empathy and wise boundaries.

“Johnny-Come-Lately”: How a 19th Century Quip Became a Go-To Put Down for Latecomers

Few idioms pack as much nuance into a hyphenated mouthful as “Johnny-come-lately.” What began as a simple tag for a newcomer now carries shades of opportunism, imitation, and bandwagoning—handy in boardrooms, politics, and pop culture alike.

Three Billy Goats Gruff: The Significance

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a classic Norwegian fairy tale first collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in the 1840s and later translated into English in 1859. It belongs to the Aarne–Thompson folktale.

Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh: A Distinctive, Iconic Character of Dreariness, Sadness, and Hopelessness.

Eeyore is one of A.A. Milne’s most iconic characters, introduced in Winnie-the-Pooh (1926). He is an old, grey stuffed donkey who lives in the Hundred Acre Wood in a place called “Eeyore’s Gloomy Place: Rather Boggy and Sad.”

Mr. Rogers: The Life and Times

Fred Rogers—known to millions simply as Mr. Rogers—was a profoundly influential figure in American television and childhood education

How to Spot Manufactured Illusions: A Practical Guide (with Real World Examples)

Manufactured illusions don’t usually look like lies. They feel true, familiar, emotionally satisfying, and endorsed by sources we trust, or that we foolishly trust. That’s by design.