Fulton’s Folly (North River Steamboat)
American engineer and inventor Robert Fulton (1765-1815) operated the North River Steamboat in 1807 (the Hudson River was known as the North River at that time) from New York City to Albany. Many…
Great Replacement (Grand Replacement)
French writer Renaud Camus has spoken since 2010 about the "Great Replacement" -- Muslim immigration into France that destroys the French culture, replacing France with a Muslim nation.…
Broadway’s Living Room or Broadway’s Supper Club or Broadway’s Nightclub (Feinstein’s/54 Below)
54 Below, located in the basement of the former disco Studio 54, opened in 2012 at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan. "54 Below - Broadway's Nightclub" was cited on Twitter on…
Haines Bottom (call of a market bottom on March 10, 2009)
CNBC Squawk on the Street host Mark Haines (1946-2011) went on the air on March 10, 2009 and declared that there was a bottom to the stock market. "I'm going to step out on a limb…
Soubrette Row (West 39th Street)
A "soubrette" is what a female stock character in opera and theatre was called in the late 1800s and early 1899s. New York City had a "Soubrette Row," where women employed in…
“Never underestimate the healing power of singing in a car really loud by yourself”
"Never underestimate the healing power of singing in a car really loud by yourself" is a jocular line that became popular in 2015. "Never underestimate the therapy singing in a car…
Dusty Miller (chocolate sundae with malted milk)
A "Dusty Miller" sundae is chocolate ice cream (or vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, or coffee ice cream) sprinkled with powdered malted milk. A Dusty Miller sundae was served in…
Hebrew Enemies (pork chops)
Jewish law does not permit eating pork. This fact found its way into restaurant slang, where "Hebrew enemies" became the slang for an order of pork chops. "Couple of Hebrew enemies…
Noah’s Boy (ham)
"Ham" of the Bible is Noah's son, and this fact eventually found it's way into restaurant slang. "Noah's boy" became an order of boiled ham. "Noah's…
“What do you get when you play a country song backwards?”
A joke about country music (cited in print since at least 1991) illustrates the sadness of much of the lyrics. "What do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your job back,…
Burnham’s Folly (Flatiron Building)
"Burnham's Folly" is frequently said to be an early nickname of Manhattan's Flatiron Building at 175 Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, completed in 1902. The Flatiron Building was…
“Veni, Vidi, Venti” (“I came, I saw, I ordered Starbucks coffee”)
"Veni, Vidi, Venti" ("I came, I saw, I ordered Starbucks coffee") is a joke on the Latin "Veni, vidi, vici" ("I came, I saw, I conquered"). "Venti"…
“‘I ran a half marathon’ sounds so much better than ‘I quit halfway through a marathon’”
"I ran a half-marathon! Small print: I entered a marathon and gave up halfway through" was cited on Twitter on September 24, 2013. The joke became viral with Rick Aaron's tweet on…
Hudson River Ale (water)
"Hudson River ale" is a jocular slang term that was used in some New York City restaurants for "water." The seldom-used term was cited in print in 1936 and is of historical…
Massive Bank Account (“MBA” backronym)
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree often comes with a higher salary than just a bachelor's. The MBA is sometimes given the jocular backronym (back acronym) of "Massive…
“I love when my boss catches me doing work”
Employees often live in fear of when a boss catches them not doing work. "I love when my boss catches me doing work" is a jocular saying of the opposite situation. "Gotta love when…
George Eddy (customer who doesn’t leave a tip)
Entry in progress -- B.P. JSTORFebruary 1936, American Speech, "Linguistic Concoctions of the Soda Jerker" by Harold W. Bentley, pp. 37-45:GEORGE EDDY. Man who gives no tips. Google…
Hoboken Special (pineapple soda and chocolate ice cream)
A "Hoboken Special" is old restaurant slang for an order of pineapple soda and chocolate ice cream. Columbia University's Harold W. Bentley first recorded the term in…
Mother-in-Law Sandwich (tongue on rye; cold shoulder and lots of tongue)
A "mother-in-law sandwich" -- yet another mother-in-law joke -- usually contains the jocular ingredients of "tongue on rye" or "cold shoulder and tongue.' The sandwich…
“What do you think of the musician’s execution?”/“I’m in favor of it.”
A popular joke appeared in 1894 and was reprinted in many newspapers: "What did you think of my daughter's execution, Professor?" asked the fond mamma, as her fair daughter pounded…