Bronx Crepes Suzette (blintzes)
"Bronx crepes suzette" is a jocular name for "blintzes." Blintzes were popular with Jewish families in the Bronx -- and many Jewish families lived in the Bronx in the 1930s and…
“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to slaughter”
"If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter" is a George Washington (1732-1799) quotation that became frequently used in the…
Frog Sticks (french fries)
Entry in progress. -- B.P. 30 November 1988, St. Albans (VT) Messenger Shopping News, "Burn one and take it through the garden," pg. 20, col. 1:"Wax a wimpy with frog sticks,"…
“Buy the book before you buy the coin” (coin collecting adage)
"Buy the book before you buy the coin" is a coin collecting adage. There are many coin collecting books that provide prices and other information. The saying is similar to Wall…
“You can’t fire the owner” (sports adage)
"You can't fire the owner" is an old sports adage. The coach can get fired, the players can get traded or released, but the owner runs the show. "You can't fire the…
“Learn, do, teach”
"Learn, do, teach" is one way that the learning process is made. "The 'learn-do-teach' cycle" was cited in print in 1977. It's not known who originated the term.…
Tools of Ignorance (baseball catcher’s equipment)
The "tools of ignorance" are a baseball catcher's equipment, such as the catcher's mask, chest protector and shin guards. 'Tools of ignorance" has been cited in print…
Battery Acid (coffee)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)battery acid n. dilute sulphuric acid as used in a lead-acid cell as the electrolyte.1835 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 125 269 (heading) Nature…
Poor Man’s Manure (snow)
Snow -- especially a late snow in the spring -- has long been called the "poor man's manure" or "poor man's fertilizer." The snow contains nitrogen that helps plant…
“The best time to make a sale is right after a sale”
"The best time to make a sale is right after a sale" is a popular selling adage. That's the time when a seller's confidence is the highest, and success can follow success.…
Poor Man’s Fertilizer (snow)
Snow -- especially a late snow in the spring -- has long been called the "poor man's manure" or "poor man's fertilizer." The snow contains nitrogen that helps plant…
“A New Yorker is someone who longs for New York”
The blog Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, written by the pseudonymous author Jeremiah Moss, posted on June 19, 2008: "In the end, the NYPL host quoted Milan Kundera as saying, 'A…
Vietnam (Morrisania Air Rights buildings)
Morrisania Air Rights is a public housing project of three buildings in Melrose and Morrisania in the Bronx. The buildings were contructed over Metro-North Railroad tracks and the project was…
“It is high! It is far! It is gone!” (baseball home run call)
American sportscaster John Sterling began as New York Yankees play-by-play announcer in 1989. Sterling developed a catchphrase home run call (that he also attempted to trademark): "It is…
“Islander goal!” (hockey catchphrase)
American sportscaster John Sterling did radio broadcasts of New York Islanders hockey games on WMCA from 1975-1978. Sterling is best known for being the New York Yankees' radio play-by-play…
Hipster Industrial Complex
The Bush Terminal (now called Industry City) area of Brooklyn was composed of many shipping warehouses. In the 2010s, plans were made to modernize the area with the Brooklyn Nets' training…
PUnivision (Univision nickname)
Univision is an American Spanish language broadcast television network headquartered in Los Angeles to New York City. Univision has been nicknamed "PUnivision" (P.U. + Univision) since at…
Punyvision (Univision nickname)
Univision is an American Spanish language broadcast television network headquartered in Los Angeles to New York City. Univision has been nicknamed "Punyvision" (puny + Univision) since at…
Nationalized Public Radio (NPR or National Public Radio nickname)
NPR (formerly National Public Radio) is funded, in part, with taxpayer dollars. Conservative and libertarian groups often insist that government has no role in funding a radio network. The NPR…
National Pubic Radio (NPR or National Public Radio nickname)
NPR (formerly National Public Radio) is funded, in part, with taxpayer dollars. Conservative groups have often cited that NPR has a pro-liberal bias. Some critics have nicknamed NPR “National…