A great place to hang your hat (Paris, Texas slogan)
The city of Paris, Texas constructed a 65-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower in 1993. A red cowboy hat rests at the top of the tower. Paris has used the slogan "A great place to hang your…
Harlem Hilton (FDNY Engine 69, Ladder 28)
FDNY Engine 69, Ladder 28, Battalion 16 is located at 248 West 143rd Street, in a building built in 1917. The firehouse has been called the "Harlem Hilton" since at least 1980. There is…
Substandard & Poor or Substandard & Porous (Standard & Poor’s nickname)
Standard & Poor's (S&P) is one of the "big three" credit-rating agencies, along with Moody's and Fitch. On August 5, 2011, S&P received much criticism for…
“First the free market dies, then dies democracy”
Folker Hellmeyer, the chief strategist with Bremer Landesbank, was quoted on a German website on October 12, 2008: "Erst stirbt der freie Markt, dann stirbt die Demokratie.""First…
Bank of Failmerica (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 United States of America has been called "Failmerica" (fail +…
“Let the people know the truth and the country is safe”
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln told the Boston (MA) Journal in July 1864: "I have faith in the people. They will not consent to disunion. The danger is, that they are misled. Let them know the…
Repulsican (repulsive + Republican)
"Repulsican" (repulsive + Republican) is a nickname used by someone who finds Republicans to be repulsive. The term "Repulsican" has been cited in print since at least May 1992.…
Damnocracy (damn + democracy); Damnocrat (damn + Democrat)
"Damnocracy" (damn + democracy) and "Damnocrat" (damn + Democrat) are terms used by people who believe that democracy or Democrats are damnable. "Damnocrat" has been…
Greater Recession
The "Great Depression" is the popular name for the economic crisis of the 1930s; the term "Great Recession" has been used since the Great Depression for smaller economic dips,…
Staten Island Tuxedo
A "Staten Island tuxedo" has been described as a velour track suit, often worn by Italian men from Staten Island. The "Staten Island tuxedo" term has been in the Urban…
New York Alphabet or Brooklyn Alphabet (“Fuckin’ A, fuckin’ B, fuckin’ C…”)
New York City has long had a tough reputation, with the F-word frequently used, An old joke has it that the "New York alphabet" (or "Brooklyn alphabet" or "New Jersey…
“It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission”
"Always remember that it's much easier to apologize than to get permission," said Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992) in December 1982. "It's easier to ask forgiveness…
ZIRP (Zero Interest Rate Policy)
"ZIRP" (or "Zirp") stands for "Zero Interest Rate Policy." The Bank of Japan used ZIRP in 1999-2000, and the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States used ZIRP in…
Blameocracy (blame + democracy); Blameocrat (blame + bureaucrat)
A "blameocracy" (blame + democracy) is when one political party blames another political party for seemingly all of the country's problems, or when a president blames the previous…
“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians”
"War is too important to be left to the generals” is a famous quote, attributed to Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929). The quotation has also become famous in a politics version. T. S. Eliot…
“Good judgment comes from experience—and that comes from bad judgment”
"Good judgment comes from experience -- and that comes from bad/poor judgment" is a jocular saying that was allegedly told by Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. (1886-1945) in 1936. The saying…
Prayerpalooza
Texas Governor Rick Perry scheduled a day of prayer, officially titled "The Response," at Houston's Reliant Stadium on August 6, 2011. About 30,000 people attended what many viewed…
Dirt Bond
"Diirt bonds" have been popular in California, Florida, Texas, Colorado and Louisiana, helping new developments by financing against the land (or "dirt"). Quasi-governmental…
Thunder on the Left (Thunder on the Right)
Christopher Morley published the novel Thunder on the Left in 1925. The term "thunder on the left" has referred to Democrats since at least 1932. The term "thunder on the right"…
Luxury Liner Row
The largest luxury ships in New York harbor have (since about 1936) docked at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal, on the Hudson River between West 44th and West 57th streets, The nickname…