Two-Napkin, Three-Napkin, Four-Napkin or Five-Napkin Burger
A one napkin/two napkin/three napkin/four napkin/five napkin burger is a hamburger so loaded with natural juices that it requires several napkins to eat it. "Two-napkin hamburger" has…
Pink Ribbon Bagel
The "Pink Ribbon Bagel" is a trademarked product of the Panera Bread franchise, with a trademark date of September 2001. Panera Bread states that the bagel (in the shape of a ribbon) is…
People’s Microphone or People’s Mic/Mike (using voices for amplified sound)
The September 2011 "Occupy Wall Street" protests didn't have a permit to have amplified sound (such as a bullhorn). Instead, a speaker would speak a few words and the crowd would act…
FinMin (finance minister or finance ministry)
"FinMin" or "finmin" is a popular news headline abbreviation for "finance minister" or "finance ministry." The term "FinMin" has been cited in…
Venture Capital (Venture Capitalist; Venture Capitalism)
"Venture capital" is risk capital -- money invested in startup companies with high growth potential. The term "venture capital" was used by at least 1935 and was popularized in…
Wedgie (sandwich)
"Wedgies" are a creation of Fox Pizza Den, a franchise based in Murraysville, PA. "Wedgie" is cited in print since at least 1983; Fox's Pizza Den describes it as "a…
“I’d rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the one who sold it”
"Call me a rube and a hick, but I’d a lot rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the man who sold it" is a line attributed to the humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935). The…
“It’s better to know the judge than to know the law”
"It's better to know the judge than to know the law" was credited by at least 1880 to New York attorney James Topham Brady (1815-1869). Brady was experienced in the corrupt Tammany…
“The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced”
English philosopher James Harrington (1611-1677), wrote in The Commonwealth of Oceana (1656), "a commonwealth is an empire of laws and not of men." John Adams (1735-1826), wrote "a…
Great Moderation
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Great ModerationIn economics, the Great Moderation refers to a reduction in the volatility of business cycle fluctuations starting in the mid-1980s, believed to…
Great Stagnation
The "Great Stagnation" is a term applied to an economy that is not advancing or developing. The economist Lester C. Thurow wrote a piece titled "The Great Stagnation" for the…
Bankster of America (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). The slang term "bankster" (banker + gangster) gained renewed…
Polidiot (politics + idiot)
A "polidiot" (politics + idiot) can mean a politician who's an idiot or a member of the general public (such as a voter) who's an idiot. The term "polidiot" has been…
“Get ‘em while they’re hot”
"Get 'em while they're hot!" is the cry of someone selling hot food, such as hot dogs or hot peanuts or hot popcorn. The cry "Get 'em while they're hot!" has…
Little Haiti (Flatbush and Canarsie, Brooklyn)
New York City's "Little Haiti" is not as concentrated or well known as Miami's "Little Haiti." There was an earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, and reporters went to…
Little Panama (Crown Heights, Brooklyn)
Franklin Avenue, between Fulton Street and Empire Boulevard, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, has been called "Little Panama." In 2010, an effort was made to rename part of Franklin Avenue…
Low Line
The High Line is a public park that was made from an abandoned elevated railroad on the west side of Manhattan. Two proposed New York City public parks grabbed the "Low Line" moniker. In…
“You pays your money and you takes your choice”
The Battle of Waterloo (on June 18, 1815) was frequently reenacted, with a showman explaining the action. The story goes that confused patrons asked, "Which is the Duke of Wellington? Which is…
“Them that has, gets”
"Them that has, gits" was mentioned in a Boston (MA) Record anecdote in 1885. Two women were chatting, and one said that the Biblical Sarah was left a lot of money. The other woman…
“A quick nickel is better than a slow dime”
"A fast/quick nickel is better than a slow dime/quarter/dollar" means that a smaller profit (with greater volume) can be better for business than a potentially larger profit (with less…