“Cheesecake” and “Beefcake” (photography)
"Cheesecake" photos are legs shots of pretty women. The term dates from the early 1930s. "Beefcake" photos are shots of handsome men. The term dates from 1949 and was applied to…
Guardian Angels
Curtis Sliwa, a night manager at a McDonald's restaurant in the Bronx, founded the Guardian Angels in 1979. Some say that he did it to help make New York City safer, and others say he did it…
Big M (summary)
The Meadowlands Race Track in East Rutherford, New Jersey opened in 1976. Aqueduct had long been known as "the Big A." "The Big A" had been coined in the 1950s in reflection of…
Greek “Anthora” Coffee Cup
New York City used to have many Greek diners. In the early 1960s, the famous Greek "Anthora" coffee cup was designed. It's a misspelling of "amphora." Since the 1990s, many…
“Los Mets”
The 2005 Mets fielded a team with many new Latin players. New York magazine called the team "Los Mets," but that isn't the first use of this term. It's also a label that has…
Manhattan Drop (wrestling)
"Manhattan Drop" is a recent professional wrestling term. It is used on a groggy but still-standing opponent by putting a head under an opponent's shoulder, lifting him up and then…
“New York” and “Manhattan” and “Brooklyn” scatalogical terms
The following are some scatalogical ("dirty") terms that use "New York" and "Manhattan" and "Brooklyn." None of them is especially popular as far as I know.…
Big Pineapple (Australian icon)
Australia has "the Big Pineapple." It also has a "Big Banana" and a "Big Prawn" and a "Big Merino." It's a big country. "The Big Pineapple" is…
Big Pineapple (San José, Costa Rica nickname)
San José, Costa Rica is sometimes called "the Big Pineapple." I was there and never heard this, but it's in some tourist literature so it's gotta be true. Wikipedia: San José,…
New York Whitehall (boating)
The "New York Whitehall" rowboat was named after New York City's Whitehall Street. The boat dates back to about the 1820s, but is rarely made anymore.…
“New York’s Best Kept Secret” (Century 21)
The Century 21 store (across from what used to be the World Trade Center) wasn't "New York's Best Kept Secret." Everyone knew to go there! Century 21 is over 40 years old. The…
Goodfellas & Wise Guys
Goodfellas was a popular 1990 movie, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. The screenplay was by Nicholas Pileggi, based…
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932)
Say, don't you remember they called me Al,It was Al all the time.Why don't you remember, I'm your pal --Buddy, can you spare a dime? "Brother, can you spare a dime?"…
Knickerbocker Glory (Knickerbocker Sundae)
The Knickerbocker Glory (or, Knickerbocker Sundae) has a New York name, but you'll probably have to go to the United Kingdom to get it. No one knows much about the history of…
New York Trigger
A "New York trigger" is a trigger on guns to make it harder to fire. This was intended to cut down on accidental shootings. A "New York trigger" is harder to pull because…
New York Reload (a second loaded gun)
A "New York reload" is when the first gun runs out of ammunition and you "reload" with a second fully loaded gun. The term appears to date from the 1980s or early 1990s.…
New York Breakfast (cold pizza; cigarettes & coffee)
Some localities have a standard humorous "breakfast." There are jokes about the "Irish breakfast" (Lucky Charms with Bailey's) and the "Kentucky breakfast"…
New York Stop (skating)
"New York Stop" is a skating stop, even more difficult that a "power stop." I suppose it's called "New York" because it's the most difficult. It appears to…
New York Screwdriver (driving in screws with a hammer)
Driving in wood screws with a hammer is called a "New York screwdriver." It's the brute force technique. http://www.loganact.com/tips/shopsay.htmNew York Screwdriver -> driving…
New York Crumb Cake
The late and lamented Ebinger's Bakery of Brooklyn probably created the tradition of the "New York crumb cake." Entenmann's now makes "New York crumb cakes" by the…