Q: What are all the phrases used in Mad Libs? Some have so many words missing, it’s hard to tell what they might be from.

A: Most of the sentence cards are from common sayings or quotes, but some are just sentences we made up which we thought would have amusing outcomes.

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actual known phrases:

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.

Speak softly and carry a big stick.

“That’s one giant step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away (opening to Star Wars) then with the classic “They lived happily ever after” to give it more substance.

So close, and yet so far away.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Careless talk costs lives.
[adjective] [plural noun] cost [plural noun]
(I had to ask Andy about this one – kind of a version of “Loose lips sink ships”)

Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.

Every cloud has it’s silver lining.
Every [noun] has a [adjective] [noun]
(Another tricky one I had to ask about)

He who laughs last, laughs best, but he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.
(not sure those two phrases are supposed to go together like that, but once you take out the key words, it’s very versatile)

If you can’t be good, be colorful. (Astronaut Pete Conrad’s personal motto)
(Andy is a big fan of the space program. Here’s a link about this one:
http://jonathan-spacejunk.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-cant-be-good-be-colorful.html

Home is where your heart is.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Cry, and you cry alone.

Love may make the world go round, but it’s cold cash that pays the bills.

Slow and steady wins the race.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

You’re never too old to learn a new trick.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

I’d buy that for a dollar!
(quote from the movie Robocop)

Never judge a book by it’s cover.
(I found this also looks a lot like “Never grab a cat by it’s tail,” or maybe it’s a dragon.)

All around mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel.

Three blind mice, see how they run!

Don’t take any wooden nickels.

Remember: the early bird gets the worm.

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Just made up stuff:

She’s [adverb] fond of pink…

Ahoy, [noun] welcome aboard the most [adjective] pirate ship…

It was an [adjective] mistake, but he [adverb] regretted it forever.

Once you [verb] [adverb], you’ll never want a [adjective] [noun] again!

[verb] like a [noun] but [verb] like a [noun]
We are not sure about this. I think we just found it funny.

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mixture of both:

It was a dark and stormy night, the wind was [verb]ing…
(padded out the classic novel opening)

Our mission is to go forth… (this is an adaptation, but not an exact quote of the beginning of the original Star Trek series: “These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds

I hope you have a/n [adjective] trip but don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!
(the familiar phrase worked into a longer sentence for more interest)

Goodbye and thanks for all the fish (a quote from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series) and then we added a little bit on the end to make it more substantial.

Life isn’t just [adjective] days and free [plural noun]…
(We think this is a quote, but we can’t remember where it’s from.)
Could be “Life isn’t just sunny days and free ice-cream. Sometimes you have to work hard.”