Chicken Bingo (Chicken Poop Bingo; Chicken Shit Bingo)
"Chicken bingo" (also called "chicken poop bingo" or "chicken shit bingo") is a game where a chicken is let loose on a checkerboard and poops in a square. A holder of…
Mom ‘n ‘em (Mom an’ ‘em)
"Mom 'n 'em" (or "mom an' 'em," also hyphenated as "mom-n-em" or "mom-an-em") means "mom and them," usually used as a greeting…
Bad News Bear (Bear Stearns nickname)
Bear Stearns is a brokerage firm that was founded in New York City in 1923. In March 2008, the firm's stock price fell rapidly and negotiations were made to sell the firm. Bear Stearns was…
Texana or Texiana or Texicana (“all things Texas”)
America has "Americana," so Texas has -- ? Three words have historically been used to describe "all things Texas" -- Texana, Texiana and Texicana. "Texiana" and…
“Metropolis is New York by day; Gotham City is New York by night”
Both Superman's Metropolis and Batman's Gotham City are said by some to be comic book representations of New York City, but the visions of both comics are very different. "Metropolis…
Metropolis (New Metropolis)
"Metropolis" (from the Greek word polis for "city") means "a large city" and is not a city nickname peculiar to New York City. Philadelphia was called the…
Gotham City
"Gotham" has been a nickname for New York City since the 1807 publication of the Salmagundi Papers by Washington Irving and James Kirke Paulding. On December 13, 1940, one comic book used…
Moo Goo Gai Pan (Chinese chicken with mushrooms)
"Moo Goo Gai Pan" is a Chinese dish of chicken with mushrooms. It was one of the first dishes to become popular in New York's Chinatown and in Americanized Chinese menus, cited with…
Sports Capital of Texas (Round Rock slogan)
The city of Round Rock began a 2004 campaign, declaring the city to be the "Sports Capital of Texas." Round Rock has many parks and sports assets such as the Dell Diamond and Old Settlers…
Tamale Sandwich (hot tamale on a bun; hot tamale bun)
A "tamale sandwich" is a hot tamale between two slices of bread (similar to, for example, a hamburger or a hot dog). The hot tamale sandwich is sometimes called a "mother-in-law…
Tamale Boat
A "tamale boat" is a tamale with chili, onions, and (sometimes) cheese. If served in a hot dog bun, it's called a "mother-in-law sandwich." Although tamales are popular in…
Mother-in-Law Sandwich (tamale with chili, usually in a hot dog bun)
A "mother-in-law sandwich" is -- according to an old joke that dates back to at least the early 1950s -- cold shoulder and tongue. The currently popular "mother-in-law sandwich"…
Irish Nachos
"Irish nachos" are nachos with potatoes (something Ireland is famous for) used instead of tortilla chips. The same variety of toppings can be used, such as cheese, beans, onions, lettuce,…
Juan Smith (El Paso’s “John Q. Public”)
E. M. ("Ed") Pooley, editor of the El Paso (TX) Herald-Post from 1937-1963, was sympathetic to the "average Joes" in El Paso. Instead of John Q. Public or John Smith, Pooley…
“The best thing to come out of Dallas/Houston is I-45”
Interstate 45 (I-45) runs between the cities of Dallas and Houston. When people (usually sports fans) from one of those cities hurl insults at the other city, a popular phrase is: "The best…
Anyone Can Come (Austin Community College/ACC nickname)
Austin Community College (ACC) is not as prestigious as another school of higher learning in the city of Austin -- the University of Texas. Some have written that "ACC" stands for…
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle, Bring Your Own Beer); BYOL (Bring Your Own Liquor)
"BYOB" ("bring your own bottle" or "bring your own beer") and "BYOL" ("bring your own liquor") are initials that date back to the Prohibition…
BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat)
BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) is a practice at some barbecues. The BBQ establishment lends the use of its smokers, but participants must bring their own meat (steaks, hamburgers, chicken, ribs, et…
Facebook Hotel (Pod Hotel)
The Pod Hotel (converted in 2007 from the former Pickwick Arms, at 230 East 51st Street in Manhattan) has small rooms ("pods"), but has a good location and high-tech amenities. There is…
Tall-Building Lawyer (TBL)
A "tall-building lawyer" is a lawyer who works in a tall building (or, in other words, a "city lawyer"). A "tall-building lawyer" (TBL) is a corporate lawyer and is…