Dirty Third (Dirty 3rd)
Houston rappers have named their turf the "Dirty Third" or "Dirty 3rd" -- taken from the terms "Dirty South" (current from 1995) and "Third Coast" (current…
Dirty South
"Dirty South" is a term that was coined by Georgia rapper Cool Breeze; the Atlanta group Goodie Mob featured the title "Dirty South" on its album Soul Food (1995). The exact…
Houston’s Plymouth Rock & Houston’s Heart (Allen’s Landing)
"Allen's Landing" is the place at the confluence of the White Oak Bayou and the Buffalo Bayou where John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapmen Allen purchased and settled in August 1836,…
“Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.” (Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich)
The 1995 Rudy Tomjanovich-coached Houston Rockets basketball team were defending NBA champions, but they entered the NBA playoffs with a low seed after a poor regular season. The Rockets went on to…
“Oh, we must be in Pasadena!”
The city of Pasadena (near Houston) has many petrochemical plants and has been nicknamed "Stinkadena" by many people. According to an internet joke list about Houston (that dates to at…
NoMad (North of Madison Square Park)
"NoMad" (or "Nomad") stands for "North of Madison (Square Park)." This recent addition to New York City's many neighborhood nicknames appeared in both the New…
Floating Head (Douglas Manor swimmer)
Douglas Manor is part of Douglaston, Queens. The water in Douglas Manor is so dirty that only the heads of swimmers can be seen. Swimmers have been called the "floating heads." Wikipedia:…
Little Harlem & Little Latin America (Corona, Queens)
Corona (Queens) was home to a large African-American community that once included jazz great Louis Armstrong. Today, Corona is home to many immigrants from Latin America. The old Corona nickname of…
Cioppino (Ciopino; Ciuppin)
Cioppino (or "ciopino") is a popular dish from the Italian community of San Francisco (ca. 1900), but the dish is also popular in Italian restaurants in New York City and on Long Island.…
Yiddish Broadway or Yiddish Rialto (Second Avenue in Manhattan)
The Lower East Side of Manhattan had numerous Yiddish theaters in the early 1900s, but most of them disappeared by the 1940s. The area was called the "Yiddish Rialto" by at least 1908.…
Poor Man’s Riviera (Coney Island)
Coney Island has provided a beach and entertainment for everyone -- rich and poor alike. The nickname "poor man's Riviera" (or "working man's Riviera" or…
Bronx Riviera (Orchard Beach)
Orchard Beach in the Bronx was opened by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses in the 1930s; it was so grand that it was called "the Riviera of New York." Other, Bronx-specific nicknames for…
Cinema Island (City Island)
The "City Island" entry in the Wikipedia states that so many films, television shows, and commercials have been shot at City Island that it's sometimes called "Cinema…
Hippie Church (“gospel brunch” in Austin)
The city of Austin has an unofficial slogan of "Keep Austin Weird," and the hippie influence has been a part of Austin ever since there were "hippies." Austin's version of…
Buckle (Blueberry Buckle; Peach Buckle)
A "buckle" dessert is similar to a coffee cake, made with fruit (most often blueberry, but also blackberry, raspberry, and peach) and with a topping that "buckles" when…
Mad Men (Madison Avenue admen)
The television show Mad Men premiered on July 19, 2007 and looks at the "ad men" of Madison Avenue in the 1960s (when the advertising professionals were mostly men). The term "mad…
Concrete City (Seguin nickname)
The city of Seguin had so many concrete buildings in the 1850s that it was called "Concrete City" (or "Mother of Concrete Cities" or "Concrete Town"). Dr. John E. Park…
Athens of Texas (nickname of many Texas cities)
Athens, Greece, in the classical period was widely known as a city of arts and learning. Boston, Massachusetts, was called the "Athens of America" in the early 1800s. Many cities…
“Lost in Austin”
"Lost in Austin" is a popularly used phrase with rhyming qualities. The Panama Red song "Lost in Austin" dates to 1976, a song called "Lost in Austin -- Again" is from…
Texas Grilled Cheese Sandwich
A "Texas grilled cheese sandwich" is (usually) a grilled cheese sandwich using Texas toast. The Ruby's Diner national restaurant chain sells a "Texas Grilled Cheese"…