Floriduh (Florida + duh)
"Floriduh" (Florida + duh) is an unflattering nickname that was popularized during the U. S. presidential election recount of 2000. The Boston (MA) Herald, on November 10, 2000, ran the…
“Do Your Own Due Diligence” (DYODD)
"Due diligence" is a term that dates from at least 1598 in the Oxford English Dictionary, meaning "appropriate, sufficient, or proper care and attention." "Do Your Own Due…
Little Britain (West Village)
Greenwich Avenue, between 12th and 13th Streets in the West Village of Manhattan, is unofficially called "Little Britain." The teashop Tea & Sympathy, at 108 Greenwich Avenue, is one…
Ghostbusters Building (55 Central Park West)
55 Central Park West has no formal building name, but it's called the "Ghostbusters Building" after the popular film comedy. Ghostbusters (1984) called the building "Spook…
Muppet Trade
"Muppets" are the uninformed general public (or "sheeple") -- the customers who seek expert financial advice, but are often fleeced in the process. On March 14, 2012, the New…
Triple Threat (football)
A "triple threat" man in football is a player who can run, pass and kick. Triple threat men were highly prized in the early days of football in the early 1900s, but the rise of…
“Cost an arm and a leg” (at a great cost; expensive)
Something that costs "an arm and a leg" is something that can be acquired only at great expense. The term "cost an arm and a leg" appears to have started in the United States…
Triple Threat (acting, singing, dancing)
The term "triple threat" was used in sports (football) in the 1920s; the "triple threat" combination of talents was used in entertainment by the early 1930s. The classic…
Telegraph Capitol of America (Western Union Building, 60 Hudson Street)
The building at 60 Hudson Street in Manhattan (now called "60 Hudson") was originally the Western Union Building. It was the main office for Western Union for many years, until the…
Terroracism (terror + racism); Terroracist (terror + racist)
"Terroracism" (terror + racism) and "terroracist" (terror + racist) combine the undesirable qualities of a "terrorist" and a "racist" into single terms.…
Taper Tantrum (taper + temper tantrum)
The Federal Reserve Bank (the "Fed") had a large quantitative easing (QE) program in 2013; there were rumors in mid-2013 that the Fed would "taper" and end the program. The blog…
“Easy peasy lemon squeezy”
"Easy peasy" and "easy peasy lemon squeezy" both mean something that is very easy. It's claimed that "easy peasy lemon Sqezy" was cited in 1964-65 print ads in…
Crown Jewel of the Bronx (New York Botanical Garden)
The New York Botanical Garden (established in 1891) has been described as the "crown jewel of the Bronx." The NYBG's Enid Haupt Conservatory is sometimes called the "crown jewel…
Crown Jewel of Park Slope (Montauk Club)
The Montauk Club (a private club at 25 Eighth Avenue on the corner of Lincoln Place) was founded in 1889 and is considered Brooklyn's "crown jewel of Park Slope." The Venetian Gothic…
Staten Island’s Crown Jewel (Sailors’ Snug Harbor)
Sailors' Snug Harbor (or Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden) has been called "Staten Island's crown jewel" on its Wikipedia entry. There are landmarked…
Harlem’s Restaurant Row (Frederick Douglass Boulevard)
Harlem's "Restaurant Row" is Frederick Douglass Boulevard, between 110th and 125th streets. The Daily News (New York, NY) said on November 10, 2000, "In Harlem, 116th Street has…
“They’re playing our song” (romantic drama dialogue)
They're Playing Our Song is the title of a musical (book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch) that opened on Broadway on February 11, 1979. However,…
Bravocado (bravo + avocado)
"Bravocado" (bravo + avocado) is the name of a brand of avocados (trademarked since 1954). "Bravocado" has also been the name of a sandwich (cheese, avocado, and sprouts on…
“You are what you tweet”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), in the book Physiologie du Gout (1825), wrote "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are," often interpreted as "you are what…
Rebalancing Day (Rebal Day)
A "rebalancing day" (or "rebalance day" or "rebal day") might occur on the last day of trading in a quarter, such as March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31…