Little Puerto Rico (Harding Park, Clason Point, Bronx)
Harding Park, a subsection of Clason Point in the Bronx, is comprised of many former bungalows. Puerto Rican families moved to the area in the 1960s and it acquired the nickname "Little Puerto…
“To anger a conservative, lie to him: to anger a liberal, tell him the truth”
"To anger a conservative, lie to him: to anger a liberal, tell him the truth" is a quotation that is often credited to Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), but there is no evidence that he…
Genius School (Baby Genius School)
In 2011, New York City encouraged top universities to open a world-class applied sciences graduate school (dubbed a "genius school") on city land. The unofficial nickname of "genius…
“Colder than a witch’s tit” (very cold)
"Cold as a witch's tit" (or "colder than a witch's tit") is very cold. The expression has variations that include other things associated with a witch. "Cold as a…
“Nice guys finish last”
"Nice guys finish last" was the title of Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher's article in the April 1948 Cosmopolitan and also the title of his 1975 autobiography. The Brooklyn…
“The country’s in the very best of hands”
"The Country's In The Very Best Of Hands" is a song (music by Gene De Paul and lyrics by Johnny Mercer) in the 1956 Broadway musical Li'l Abner. The song is a satirical look at…
“A coach who listens to the fans ends up sitting with them”
An old saying in sports is that a coach or general manager "who listens to the fans ends up sitting with them." Fans are important, but the coach or general manager has the best knowledge…
“The bank is open for [player name]” (basketball bank shot catchphrase)
A basketball "bank shot" is one that hits the backboard before its trip to the basket. "The bank is open for [basketball player name]" means that a player has just scored on a…
Conspiracy Theory
A "conspiracy theory" is a proposition that two or more people did something, such as a crime or an assassination. The term "conspiracy theory" has been cited in print since at…
“MOM stands for Mother, not Made Of Money”
"MOM stands for Mother, not Made Of Money" is a jocular line that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers and posters. "MOM stands for Mother, not Made…
Gastrocrat (gastronomy + aristocrat/bureaucrat)
A "gastrocrat" (gastronomy + aristocrat/bureaucrat) is a personal influential in the word of food (such as a critic, an author, a chef, or a restaurateur) who dictates food choices.…
“I was in love with Harlem long before I got there”
American poet Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was born in Missouri, but arrived in New York City in the 1920s to attend Columbia College. In his autobiography, The Big Sea (1940), Hughes wrote: "I…
“Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them”
"Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them" is a popular quotation that has been printed on posters. but the quotation is of uncertain origin.…
“The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation”
"The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation" is a quotation that has been credited to Russian leader Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924),…
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”
"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything" is a quotation that has been printed on many posters. The quotation is usually credited to Mark Twain, the pen name of…
“A critic is a man who knows the way but can’t drive the car”
"A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car" is an often-reprinted line from English theatre critic Kenneth Tynan (1927 -1980). The New York (NY) Times Magazine of…
London Bullion Manipulation Association (London Bullion Market Association or LBMA nickname)
The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA)s a wholesale over-the-counter market for the trading of gold and silver. In the 2010s, it was widely believed that members of the LBMA manipulated the…
“Are you free tonight or will it cost me?” (pick-up line)
"Are you free tonight or will it cost me?" is a jocular example of a terrible pick-up line. "Are you free tonight?" is a pun on "Are you available tonight?" and…
“A boss is like a diaper—always on your ass and full of shit”
"A boss is like a diaper -- always on your ass and full of shit" is a jocular one-line saying shared by many workers. "Bosses are like diapers — full of shit and all over your…
Skyscraper Curse (Skyscraper Index)
Many cities have a "skyscraper" (tall building) added to the skyline, but experience a downturn in the economy. New York City's Chrysler Building (1930) and Empire State Building…