Douche Bank (Deutsche Bank mispronunciation/nickname)
Deutsche Bank (literally, "German Bank") was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. There are several offices in New York City. Deutsche Bank is probably…
DBAG or D-Bag (Deutsche Bank AG nickname)
Deutsche Bank (literally, "German Bank") was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. There are several offices in New York City. Deutsche Bank is probably…
Spring Sphere (Easter egg)
One Seattle, Washington, school supposedly told a student that she could make "spring spheres," but not "Easter eggs." (This April 2011 story has been disputed.) The…
New Hampshire: “Live free or die” (motto)
"Live Free or Die" is the New Hampshire motto, approved in 1945 by its legislature after a suggestion by the Daughters of the American Revolution. New Hampshire's John Stark…
Cracker Barrel (Cracker Barrel Philosopher/Philosophy)
The "cracker barrel" (or "cracker-barrel") is a barrel containing crackers. "York Biscuit and Crackers in barrels and kegs" was printed in The Connecticut Courant…
Bank of Amerika or Bank of Amerikkka (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 nicknames "Bank of Amerika" (indicating a communist influence)…
Crapper Barrel (Cracker Barrel nickname)
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant is a chain combining a retail store and a family-style restaurant. Cracker Barrel was founded in 1969 in Tennessee, named after the famous cracker…
Pickles and Ice Cream
"Pickles and ice cream" is an odd combination of foods, famous for being just that. In the 1910s, "pickles and ice cream" was popularized as a strange combination of favorite…
“It’s the economy, stupid”
'It's the economy, stupid" was coined by James Carville, then working as a political consultant on the successful 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton. Carville wrote on a sign…
“If you’re going to shoot the king, don’t miss”
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote in The Prince (1505 in Italian, 1513 in English) what has been translated as "Never do an enemy a small injury." If one is striking out at an…
Chez Marshalls (Marshalls nickname)
Marshalls is a department store chain specializing in low-priced clothing. Marshalls began in Boston, massachusetts, in 1956. The nickname "Chez Marshalls" has been cited in print since…
Chopped Brisket (sandwich)
Chopped brisket sandwiches are another alternative to sliced brisket sandwiches. The brisket is usually made from the "point" -- a fattier slice. The brisket is chopped and is usually…
Greenwood Heights
The Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenwood Heights takes its name from its proximity to the Green-Wood Cemetery (a National Historic Landmark). There was a Greenwood Heights Reformed Church in the…
MiMA (Middle of Manhattan)
MiMA (450 West 42nd Street in Manhattan) is a residential building from The Related Companies, trademarked from November 3, 2010. "MiMA" means "middle of Manhattan" and has been…
ProCro (Prospect Heights + Crown Heights)
"ProCro" (Prospect Heights + Crown Heights) is a neighborhood nickname that was popularized by the article "Prospect Heights Edges Into Crown Heights" in the February 18, 2011…
Drink Every Afternoon (Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA nickname)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was formed in 1973 to combat drug smuggling. The DEA nickname "Drunk Every Afternoon" has been cited in print since at least 1993. "DEA…
Don’t Expect Anything (Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA nickname)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was formed in 1973 to combat drug smuggling. The DEA nickname "Don't Expect Anything" has been cited in print since at least 1988. The…
Famous But Incompetent (Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI nickname)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was founded in 1908 and conducts federal criminal and intelligence investigations. Other investigators (such as Drug Enforcement Administration agents and…
Infernal Revenue Service (Internal Revenue Service or IRS nickname)
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collects revenue for the United States federal government. The Bureau of Internal Revenue was created after passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, allowing…
“Taking care of business” (TCB)
"Take/Taking care of business" is an old term that dates to at least the 1900s. The rock group Bachman-Turner-Overdrive (BTO) popularized the saying with their 1973 hit song,…