Bubble Dancer (a person who washes dishes)
"Bubble dancing" is a humorous term for dishwashing (and its soap bubbles) that developed among soldiers in 1941; a person who washes the dishes is a "bubble dancer." The…
Basketball (Basket Ball)
The game of basketball (first spelled "basket ball") became popular in 1892. The first college basketball game was played at Cornell University in February 1892. Supposed basketball…
Pop-Up Restaurant
A "pop-up restaurant" is a temporary restaurant, often established for a certain event or season. The term "pop-up restaurant" has been cited in print since at least 2006;…
Pop-Up Café
The New York City Department of Transportation initiated a pilot "pop-up café" plan in the summer of 2010 and then started some cafés in 2011. Parking spaces are removed to create small…
Gutter Café (Gutter Dining)
Brooklyn's Smith Street was awarded the borough's first "gutter café" (also called a "pop-up café") in March 2011. Restaurant seating is quite literally in the…
“Same shit, different asshole” (political adage)
"Same shit, different asshole(s)" means that no matter who gets elected, it's still the same bad stuff. A saying in similar form is "same shit, different day." "Same…
Enforcement Theater
"Enforcement theater" is when arrests are made and/or lawsuits are filed, providing to the public the "theater" (or "theatrical performance") that the law is being…
“Take only pictures, leave only footprints” (parks policy)
"Take only pictures, leave only footprints" is a saying that has appeared on park signs and literature, instructing visitors to cause as little harm to the environment as possible. The…
Wild Art (photo unaccompanied by a story)
"Wild art" is a photo unaccompanied by a news story. For example, a photo of the first snowfall of the year can be newsworthy, but usually doesn't require a news story. The term…
“Talent on loan from God”
A biblical view is that all life on the earth is "on loan" from God. The conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has joked that he has "talent on loan from God," cited…
“Taking away the punch bowl” (Federal Reserve saying)
The Federal Reserve saying of "taking away the punch bowl just when the party is getting good" means that the Federal Reserve seeks to avoid creating monetary bubbles in the economy.…
Houstonite (inhabitant of Houston)
"Houstonite" is the name of an inhabitant of Houston, Texas. The name "Houstonite" has been cited in print since at least 1841. An inhabitant of Houston has more popularly been…
“Land of the free, thanks to the brave”
"O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave" is the last line of the first stanza of the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." To thank the military, the…
“Love your neighbor, but don’t tear down your fence” (proverb)
"Love thy neighbor" is in the Bible (Leviticus 19:18). "Good fences make good neighbors" is an old proverb popularized by Robert Frost (1974-1963). The proverb "Love your…
“Eat them for lunch before they eat you for dinner”
"Eat them for lunch before they eat you for dinner" has been used in Middle East politics since at least 2005. The saying means that it is better to launch a pre-emptive strike before the…
Fascist Bureau of Investigation (Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI nickname)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was founded in 1908 and conducts federal criminal and intelligence investigations. The unflattering FBI nickname of "Fascist Bureau of…
Thumbsucker (a news analysis or think piece)
A "thumbsucker" is not a reported news story, but rather is a "news analysis" or a "think piece." According to the 1980 citation (below): "When a reporter…
Widows and Orphans (newspaper terminology)
"Widows" and "orphans" are words (or short lines) at the beginning or end of a paragraph that appear at the top or the bottom of a column or page. The term "widow"…
Goat-choker (an overly long article)
A "goat-choker" is an article so long that it suffocates the reader and becomes a real challenge to finish. The length of the article is intentional; the author and the publication intend…
Biocrat (biology + bureaucrat)
"Biocracy" (biology + -cracy) was coined in 1933 by Dr. William Bradford Cannon (1871-1945) of Harvard Medical School. According to an article in the February 10, 1933 Harvard Crimson,…