Alamo (black cube at Astor Place)
"Alamo" is the name of the big black cube at Astor Place, opposite Cooper Union, in the middle of a traffic island. During a brief repair and cleaning in 2005, and everyone said,…
Alphebetical for "a"
Alamo Bowl
The annual Alamo Bowl is a football bowl played between representatives of the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences. The first Alamo Bowl was played in 1993, and it takes place in the Alamodome in San…
Alamo Burger
Many restaurants offer something called an "Alamo Burger." Often, it's simply a hamburger with chili and cheddar cheese. (This "Alamo Burger" can be found at The Sports…
Alamo City (San Antonio nickname)
The Alamo is the popular national landmark in San Antonio. San Antonio itself was called "the Alamo City" by the mid-1800s. In the 1880s, "Alamo City" showed up in book titles.…
Alaska: The Last Frontier (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)last frontier n. (a) orig. and chiefly U.S. that part of a country, region, etc., which is the last to be settled, explored, or developed; spec.…
Albany, Buffalo, New York, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers: Big Six (nickname)
The term "Big Six" has historical significance in New York. Since at least the 1950s, New York State's six largest cities have been called "Big Six." "With little…
Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Yonkers: Big Six (nickname)
The term "Big Six" has historical significance in New York. Since at least the 1950s, New York State's six largest cities have been called "Big Six." "With little…
Albany: “What is the Easter bunny’s favorite state capital?”/“Albunny, New York.”
An Easter bunny riddle is: Q: What is the Easter bunny's favorite state capital?A: Albunny, New York! The Albany joke has been cited in print since at least 2005. Wikipedia: Albany, New…
Albany: Albany Beef
"Albany beef" is a jocular name for sturgeon, once plentiful in the Hudson River in the 1700s. "This fish is a favorite with the Dutch, at Albany, and is on that account by some…
Albany: Politicana (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Albany, New YorkAlbany (Listeni/ˈɔːlbəniː/) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New…
Albany: Smallbany or Smalbany or SmAlbany (nickname)
New York City is the most populous city in New York State, but Albany is the capital city. Some New Yorkers (including some from Albany) have called the capital city "Smallbany" or…
Albany: Steamed Hams (hamburgers)
The term "steamed hams" ("hamburgers," in the supposed regional dialect of Albany, New York) was coined on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, on the episode "22…
Albany: Sturgeondom (nickname)
Sturgeon in the Hudson River were so numerous that they were called "Albany beef" since at least the 1770s. The city of Albany itself was called "Sturgeondom" or…
Albatross (golf score)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Par (score)AlbatrossAlbatross means scoring three under par (−3) (the albatross being one of the largest birds); also called a double eagle in the U.S. This…
Alexander/Gin Alexander/Brandy Alexander/Coffee Alexander (cocktail)
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…
Algebro (algebra + bro)
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…
Algonquin Cocktail
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…
Algonquin Hotel (“Gonk” & the “Round Table”)
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…
Alibi Ike
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 (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
"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…