“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,…
Temple of Capitalism (Jarmulowsky Bank nickname)
The Jarmulowsky Bank Building, at 54 Canal Street in Manhattan, was declared a New York City landmark in 2009. The 12-story building opened in 1912, just after bank founder Sender Jarmulowsky died.…
Big Three (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security)
The "Big Three" entitlement items in the federal budget of the United States are Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Many political observers believe that the "Big Three"…
“Screw up, move up”
"Screw up, move up" is a bureaucratic joke, cited in print since at least 1981 (then referring to the U.S. Army). The opposite is supposed to be true, where a person moves up because of…
“Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?”/“At the bottom.”
It's one of the oldest jokes told about American political history: Teacher -- Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?Student -- At the bottom (of the page). The joke has been cited…
“Why did the apple turnover?”/“Because it saw the banana split.”
Popular food riddles (also word riddles) involve the apple turnover and the banana split. These jokes have been repeated over many years on the children's sections of newspapers and magazines.…
Hot Sauce Blue Cheese or Hot Sauce Bleu Cheese (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
Holy Shit my Bank’s Chinese (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
Holy Shit Buffalo’s Cold (HSBC nickname)
HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a global bank with many branches in New York City. Marine Midland Bank was based in Buffalo, New York; HSBC acquired full ownership of Marine…
United Bank of Swindlers or Union Bank of Swindlers (UBS nickname)
UBS (originally the Union Bank of Switzerland) is one of the world's largest banks and has several branches in Manhattan. Barry Ritholtz's blog, The Big Picture, on August 20, 2009,…