Laksa (spicy rice noodle soup)
"Laksa" is a spicy rice noodle soup that is popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Southern Thailand. "Asam laksa, from the Malay island of Penang, is sour and contains…
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall or Buddha’s Temptation (Fo Tiao Qiang)
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall/Fence" or "Buddha's Temptation" (fó tiào qiáng) is a dish from China's Fujian province that supposedly is so tempting that a fasting…
“I once worked as a salesman and was very independent. I took orders from no one”
American humorist Gerald Barzan was credited in the book The Greatest Laughs of All Time (1961), by Gerald F. Lieberman, with a popular line about working as a salesman: "I once worked as a…
Cheese Tea
Entry in progress -- B.P. EaterCheese Tea Could Be the New Bubble Tea — If Americans Get Over the NameTea topped with cheese foam has been stuck on the cusp of trending statesideby Esther Tseng…
Chinatown North (East Village, Manhattan)
Eater -- New York reported on a new culinary trend in New York City with its article "How the East Village Turned Into NYC’s Hippest Chinese Dining Destination: A surge of stylish new…
“My first date with an Emergency department nurse was a casual tea”
"Casual tea" is a pun on the word "casualty." "Count of casualty? Or cup of casual tea?" was posted on Twitter by Laura Briggs on April 27, 2009. "What does a…
“I had to use a store discount card to scrape the ice from the car windscreen, but only got 10% off”
Many people use a credit/discount card to scrape off ice from a car windshield. "RT @Noot54: Damn cold this morning! Had to use store discount card to scrape the ice from the car windscreen,…
“More Than Awful (Metropolitan Transportation Authority or MTA nickname)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) operates the subways and buses in New York City. The Daily News (New York, NY) front page headline on January 31, 2019, provided a nickname:…
“I called my wife and told her that I’ll pick up Fish and Chips” (joke)
A joke about "picking up fish and chips" has the food item as proper names. "I phoned my wife. 'Do you want me to pick up fish and chips on my way home?' I think she still…
“I was drinking my milkshake on a cliff and thought, wow, this is ledge ‘n dairy”
The word "legendary" has had some "ledge and dairy" (or "ledge 'n' dairy") puns. "Ledge n dairy" was posted on Twitter by Dan on March 12, 2009.…
“Volleyball is just a more intense version of ‘don’t let the balloon touch the floor’”
"Volleyball is just a more intense version of 'don't let the balloon touch the floor'" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "Volleyball :) RT…
“Everybody ought to have a Lower East Side in their life”
American composer and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989) grew up in extreme poverty in Manhattan's Lower East Side. However, he enjoyed many friendships and the cultural richness that the…
“Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He IS American music”
American composer and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989) wrote many famous songs. American critic and commentator Alexander Woollcott (1887-1943) wrote the article "The Story of Irving…
“London is satisfied, Paris is resigned, but New York is always hopeful”
American writer and satirist Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) loved New York City. Parker wrote in the article "My Home Town" for McCall's magazine in January 1928: "London is…
“I’m crazy about the Big Apple” (1976 ad campaign)
The Committee in the Public Interest sought to improve New York City's public image in 1976, leading to its hosting of the Democratic National Convention that year. William E.…
Thumbprint Cookies
"Thumbprint cookies" have sometimes been called "Swedish cookies" ("hallongrotta" or plural "hallongrottor"). The butter cookies are indented with a…
Rum Raisin
"Rum Raisin" is a flavor most often used in ice cream; the raisins are soaked in rum. It's not known who invented "rum raisin," but it was listed in several ice cream shops…
“30 days hath September…” (January and February joke)
An old calendar rhyme is: "Thirty days hath September,April, June, and November;All the rest have thirty-one,Excepting February alone,And that has twenty-eight days clearAnd twenty-nine in…
“The opening ceremony for my ribbon repair business was pretty confusing”
Many businesses are opened by a ribbon-cutting ceremony. But what if the business is repairing ribbons? "The opening ceremony for my ribbon repair business was pretty confusing" was…
“A Chinese restaurant got vandalized. It was an act of wonton destruction”
"Wanton destruction" should not be confused with "wonton destruction." "Dr. Howe discussed the rise of Chinese nationalism (...) and 'wonton' destruction"…