New York columnist Walter Winchell explained the origin of the Alexander cocktail in his column on March 21, 1929. Rector's (a famous New York eatery before Prohibition) was having a dinner…
An "algebro" (algebra + bro) is a friend (usually male) who likes math (usually algebra). The term was popularized by the 2008 videogame Math Kickers: Featuring the Algebros. An Urban…
The Algonquin Hotel, at 59 West 44th Street in Manhattan, opened in 1902 and has a storied history, although the hotel is not particularly known for its food and drink. The Algonquin cocktail…
The Algonquin Hotel, at 59 West 44th Street, was the place of the "Algonquin Round Table" or "Vicious Circle" of writers of the 1920s. It is believed that writer and wit Dorothy…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wiktionary: Alibi IkeEtymologyFrom the principal character in "Alibi Ike" (1915), a short story by Ring Lardner Sr., and a subsequent film (1935) of the same…
"ALICE" is a acronym for "Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed." Members of the ALICE class work to earn just enough to get by; anything unexpected -- such as an illness…
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began in 1943 and is headquartered on Manhattan's Upper West Side (near Lincoln Center). A few critics have said that "ABC" stands for…
A graduate student who is in a Ph.D. program often completes all the requirements, except for a dissertation. Such a student has been nicknamed an ABD -- "All But Dissertation." The term…
Adidas manufactures sports shoes and sports clothing. The company name is from its founder, Adolf Dassler. ("Adi" is a nickname for Adolf and "Das" is from "Dassler.")…
Montreal (Canada) is known for its "all dressed" bagel, "all dressed" hot dog and "all dressed" pizza. Montreal's "all dressed" bagel is similar to New…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Montreal (Canada) is known for its "all dressed" bagel, "all dressed" hot dog and "all dressed" pizza. "All dressed" has been cited…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Montreal (Canada) is known for its "all dressed" bagel, "all dressed" hot dog and "all dressed" pizza. "All dressed" pizza has been…
The American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an insurance company with headquarters in New York City. In September 2008, the U.S. federal government provided the company with billions in credit…
"Allergy Capital of the World" is an unofficial nickname that the city of Austin is not proud of. The term dates from at least the early 1980s and describes the cedar, ragweed, and other…
Allicin is an organosulfur compound obtained from garlic. "Allicin Wonderland" is an obvious pun on Alice in Wonderland. "The body is, in fact, a veritable allicin wonderland"…
Anahuac on the Texas Gulf Coast has held the Texas Gatorfest since 1989, when the town was also declared by the Texas Legislature as the "Alligator Capital of Texas." The Anahuac National…
It's a popular urban legend that there are alligators in the New York City sewer. I found the first such newspaper article, from 1907. The most famous example is from 1935. Alligators…
An "alligator spread" is a transaction is where the investor is unlikely to make much of a profit even if the markets move in the direction anticipated, primarily because the investor is…
Washington Irving (1783-1859) was America's first great writer, and he authored the great American expression "the almighty dollar." (Oxford English Dictionary)almighty, a.…
Almond Boneless Chicken (often called "ABC") is a Chinese dish that is popular in Detroit, Michigan. In other cities, it's called, in its various spellings, "war/wor…