“He couldn’t find a Jew in the Bronx”
In the first half of the 20th century, many Jewish people escaped crowded Manhattan and took the newly built subway line to homes in the borough of the Bronx (often along its popular street, the…
Texas Roll (sushi)
The "Texas Roll" sushi roll is offered at several Japanese restaurants, but the ingredients do not appear to have been standardized. Jalapeños are often included. Sushi Zushi (Dallas…
“No bowl of borscht”
"No bowl of borscht" appears to possibly have been a short-lived New York City variant of "not chopped liver." A Southern variation of the same idea would be to compare…
“To err is human; to hedge divine” (Wall Street proverb)
"To err is human; to forgive, divine" is a famous quotation from the English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744). "To err is human; to hedge (is) divine" (or, "To speculate is…
“A stock doesn’t know where it has been” or “A stock doesn’t know you own it” (Wall Street proverb)
"A stock doesn't know you own it" is a proverb that's been used by financial writer "Adam Smith" (George Goodman) in the 1960s and also investor Warren Buffett. The…
“Sell in May and go away (buy back on St. Leger’s day)” (Halloween Indicator)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Halloween indicatorThe Halloween indicator is a theory that the period from November to April inclusive has significantly stronger stock market growth on…
“You have to speculate to accumulate” (gambling proverb)
"Speculate to accumulate" (that is, "take chances to win big") appears to have started in gambling and was cited by Broadway scribe Walter Winchell by 1941. The phrase is more…
Fried Twinkie
The "Twinkie" cake was invented in the 1930s in the Midwest, but the deep-fried Twinkie was invented in Brooklyn. Christopher Sell (originally from England) opened a Brooklyn fish &…
“From here. it’s possible” (Texas Tech slogan)
Texas Tech University began a campaign featuring the slogan "From here, it's possible" in 2006. The slogan highlights the university's many degree programs where students can…
Screaming Buy (Wall Street phrase)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google Groups: misc.invest.stocksNewsgroups: misc.invest.stocksFrom: mbk%anl433.u...@Germany.EU.net (Matt Kennel)Date: 10 Feb 1994 04:47:55 GMTLocal: Wed, Feb 9 1994 11:47…
Rubber Band Effect
The "rubber band effect" (or "V rally," describing how it looks on a chart) describes the stock market as like a rubber band, ready to bounce back from any large losses or…
Aunt Jane (an unsophisticated investor)
"Aunt Jane” is Wall Street’s term for the average, unsophisticated investor. Personifying someone with an “aunt” or an “uncle” name is commonplace and is often difficult to trace…
Aunt Millie (an unsophisticated investor)
"Aunt Millie" (often said to be from Omaha or Dubuque) is Wall Street's term for the average, unsophisticated investor. "Aunt Agatha" is another name that is sometimes…
Graveyard Market
A "graveyard market" is the end of a long bear market -- when the stock market seems like a "graveyard." Long-time investors have suffered large losses, but stay in the market…
Dead Cat Bounce
A "dead cat bounce" is a stock market term for a fake (or short-lived) economic recovery. Cat lore has it that if you throw a cat from any height, the cat will always land on its feet. In…
Bagel Land
A bagel is a bread product with a hole in the center. The bagel -- like the donut, with its hole in the center -- has long symbolized the number "zero" or "0." The tennis…
“When you are crying you should be buying; When you are yelling you should be selling”
A bit of rhyming investment advice is: "When everyone's crying you should be buying. When everyone's yelling you should be selling." In other words, do the opposite of what…
“Never try to catch a falling knife” (Wall Street proverb)
"Never try to catch a falling knife" (or "Don't catch a falling knife") means that when a stock is in free-fall, let it continue to go down and reach bottom. Trying to --…
Taco Polaco or Polaco Taco (Polish Taco)
"Taco Polaco" or "Polaco Taco" (Polish taco) is cited in print from at least the 1970s. The Polish taco consists of a Polish sausage in a tortilla, often served with refried…
German Nachos
"German nachos" is an invention of Oma's Haus Restaurant in New Braunfels. Sausage is added to tortilla chips, topped with jalapeño and cheddar cheese. Oma's Haus Restaurant…