Rockefinger or Rockefeller Salute (Nelson Rockefeller’s middle finger gesture)
"Rockefinger," "Rockefeller salute" and "Rockefeller gesture" are names for the middle finger protruding from a clenched fist -- also called "the finger,"…
Beer Belly
"Beer belly" is one of several slang names for abdominal fat. Male beer drinkers often develop "beer barrel" bellies -- also called "beer gut." The term "beer…
“We will serve no swine before its time” (low-and-slow cooking)
"We will sell no wine before its time" was the memorable advertising line spoken by actor/director Orson Welles (1915-1985) for California's Paul Masson Vineyards in 1976. The…
Housemade
"Housemade" (or "house-made") is another food industry term for the over-used "homemade." The terms "housemade" and "homemade" imply that the…
“If you see a Swiss banker jumping out of a window, follow him” (Voltaire?)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: VoltaireFrançois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, and…
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do”
"Tough times never last, but tough people do!" is the title of a 1983 book by Robert Harold Schuller.The book popularized the phrase, often slightly changed to "tough times…
AG (Attorney General or Aspiring Governor)
The position of state attorney general is regarded as just below the governor. The joke that "A.G." stands for "Aspiring Governor" is cited in print from at least 1989, when a…
Great Walk Way (Broadway without vehicular traffic)
Broadway has long been nicknamed the "Great White Way." In May 2009, vehicular traffic was restricted in Times Square and Herald Square. A February 26, 2009 article in the New York (NY)…
Kosher Nostra (Jewish Mafia)
"Kosher Nostra" is a pun on the name "Cosa Nostra" (meaning "our thing"), another name for the Sicilian mafia. "Kosher Nostra" is cited in print from at…
“America is great because she is good”
"America is great because she is good" is a quotation that has been attributed by several American presidents to Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) and his book, Democracy in America.There…
Bully Pulpit
The term "bully pulpit" was coined by Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), as he was leaving his last term in the White House. The term first appears in a February 27, 1909 Outlook profile of…
Meatball Sandwich (Meatball Hero; Meatball Sub; Meatball Grinder; Meatball Hoagie)
Meatballs served with spaghetti is an Italian-American creation; the dish of "spaghetti and meatballs" became popular in American in the 1920s, just after the first World War. The…
“That’s why they make vanilla and chocolate ice cream” (i.e., people have different tastes)
"That's why they make vanilla and chocolate ice cream" (or, "That's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream") means that not everyone likes the same flavor and…
Cattalo or Catalo or Cattelo (cattle + buffalo)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: BeefaloBeefalo are a fertile hybrid offspring of domestic cattle, Bos taurus, and the American Bison, Bison bison (generally called buffalo in the US). The…
Father of the Texas Panhandle (Charles Goodnight; George Tyng)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Charles GoodnightCharles Goodnight (March 5, 1836 – December 12, 1929) was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He…
Blue Chip
Card games such as poker often use colored chips for wagering. A white chip is the lowest value, a red chip is often equal to two white chips, and a blue chip (highest value) is equal to two red…
Mexican Standoff
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Mexican standoffMexican standoff is a strategic deadlock or impasse, in which no party can act in a way that ensures victory. OriginsThe phrase came into usage…
Potachos (potato chips + nachos)
"Potachos' (sometimes spelled "potatchos") are "nachos" with potato chips instead of tortilla chips. Thick kettle chips are used. There are various cheese, tomato,…
Totchos (tater tots + nachos)
"Tochos" (from the words "tater tots" and "nachos") were popularized by the Oaks Bottom Public House (Portland, OR) in 2006. The tortilla chips in nachos are replaced…
Goonion (goon + labor union)
"Goonion" (from the words "goon" and "labor union") is a highly charged term used by a person who believes that unions operate like goons -- terrorizing opponents. The…