Poor Man’s Gold (silver nickname)
Silver is sometimes called the "poor man's gold" because silver is cheaper to buy. The term "poor man's gold" was used in 1932 by Rene Leon, but other metals (copper,…
Crescent City (New Orleans nickname)
New Orleans has been called the "Crescent City" since at least 1835. The "crescent" refers to the curve of the Mississippi River. Joseph Holt Ingraham (1809-1860) probably…
“In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Jan L. A. van de SnepscheutJan L. A. van de Snepscheut (1953 – 1994) was a computer scientist and educator.UnsourcedIn theory, there is no difference between…
Gubmint or Gub’mint (Gubment or Gub’ment)
"Gubment" has been a black dialect word for "government" since at least 1861. "Gubmint" has been cited in print since at least the 1940s. Both terms are frequently…
Librul
"Librul" is a mock misspelling of the word "liberal," meant to imitate Southern speech. The spelling "librul" is often used by liberals themselves, to parody how…
Murder City (Ciudad Jua?rez nickname)
Ciudad Juárez (across the Rio Grande from the Texas city of El Paso) achieved the nickname "murder city" in 2010, with the publication of the book Murder City: Ciudad Juárez and the…
Drive-By Media (DBM)
"Drive by media" or "drive-by media" (DBM) is an unflattering nickname that conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh applied to the "mainstream media" (MSM) since…
State-Run Media (SRM)
"State run media" or "state-run media" (SRM) is an unflattering nickname that some have applied to the "mainstream media" (MSM). Totalitarian states (such as the…
Uncle Sugar (Uncle Sam + sugar daddy)
"Uncle Sugar" means the "United States" (U.S.), taken from the slang names "Uncle Sam" and "sugar daddy." The slang "sugar" means…
“The only useful thing banks have invented in the last 20 years is the ATM”
Paul Volcker (a former chairman of the Federal Reserve) has said that he's no fan of fancy financial products (such as the "credit default swap"). In December 2009, Volcker addressed…
Delay-and-Pray
"Delay and pray" is what a lender might do with a "toxic" asset, such as a mortgage. A bank doesn't want to foreclose and take possession of the property, so it often…
Extend-and-Pretend
"Extend and pretend" is what a lender might do with a "toxic" asset, such as a mortgage. A bank doesn't want to foreclose and take possession of the property, so it often…
“One is scared and the other is glad of it”
"One's scared and the other is glad of it" is said of a schoolyard fight or of a boxing match, where one side doesn't want to fight and the other side is relieved. The saying is…
Aquemuck (Aqueduct racetrack scandal)
The Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens was proposed to be converted into a "racino" (racing + casino) in the 2000s to help reverse years of declining attendance. Questions about the racino…
“Traders would cut your heart out for an eighth of a point” (Wall Street saying)
Stocks traded in eighths of a point until the 2000s, when stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange and American Stock Exchange switched to decimal pricing. A Wall Street saying was that…
“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu”
"If you're not at the table, you're on the menu" (or, "You're either at the table or on the menu") means that if you're not at the (bargaining) table, then…
“To know and not to do is not to know”
"To know and not to do is not to know" has been credited to Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1529). The phrase appears cited with frequency in English from 1977, and has been a…
Horndog High (James Madison High School nickname)
Brooklyn's James Madison High School was dubbed "Horndog High" by the New York (NY) Daily News in December 2009, after two language teachers were caught by a janitor for apparently…
Kitchenista
A "kitchenista" is someone who loves to be in the kitchen. The term uses the same derivative ending ("-ista") as the popular term "fashionista" from the 1990s;…
“Up a staircase, down an elevator” (Wall Street adage)
"Up a staircase, down an elevator" means that a market rises slowly (stairs) and falls quickly (elevator). The saying has been cited in print since at least 2007. A similar saying is:…