Author’s Row (Jane Street in West Village, Manhattan)
Jane Street in the West Village of Manhattan, between Greenwich Avenue and Eighth Avenue (or Hudson Street), is sometimes called "Author's Row" because of the many famous writers who…
Alphebetical for "a"
Autism (summary)
My sister has a son with "autism." On October 12, 2002, I first posted this to the American Dialect Society list, then re-posted it to alt.support.autism. The Oxford English Dictionary…
Auto Show
The New York Auto Show (now the New York International Auto Show) began in Madison Square Garden in the 19th century as "The Bicycle and Automobile Show." It remains one of New…
Autograt (automatic gratuity)
An "autograt" (automatic gratuity) is a gratuity (or "tip") that is automatically added to a bill, rather than a gratuity given at the customer's discretion. Many…
Autohoaxer; Autohoaxing
An "autohoaxer" is someone who believes that nearly everything that is shown on the mainstream media is a hoax. "The Hoaxer Movement - The Insanity of the Everything is a Hoax Crowd.…
Automat (or, Automated Restaurant)
The "Automat" is a German invention from 1896, originally called the "automated restaurant." Horn & Hardart opened the first American "Automat" in Philadelphia in…
Automobile Row
"Automobile Row" (where the auto dealerships are) has moved from Broadway (between the 50s and 70s) to Eleventh Avenue. The term dates from about 1900. 25 June 1907, New York Times, pg.…
Avenue of Architecture (Eighth Avenue)
The Times Square Allience coined the name "Avenue of Architecture" in 2008 for Manhattan's Eighth Avenue, between 40th Street and Columbus Circle. Several skyscrapers had been…
Avenue of Heroes; Canyon of Heroes
New York City celebrates heroes. There were many large "tickertape parades" before the 1940s, but "Avenue of Heroes" and "Canyon of Heroes" seem to both were…
Avinunca (Avianca nickname)
Avianca has been the flag carrier airline of Colombia since 1919 and originally stood for Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A. The Avianca nickname -- popular in Colombia and elsewhere -- of…
Avocado Toast
Wikipedia: Avocado toast Avocado toast is a type of open sandwich consisting of toast with mashed avocado, and any of a variety of spices and flavorful ingredients. The most popular are usually…
Avodog (avocado + hot dog)
An "avodog" (or "avo dog") is a hot dog topped with avocado. The Chilean Avocado Importers Association introduced the "avo dog" at Dodger Stadium in 2006. The Peruvian…
Avogadro Toast (Avogadro constant + avocado toast)
"Avocado toast" shouldn't be called "Avogadro toast," but there are jokes. "Avogadro's toast" was posted on Twitter by Andrew Kim on September 13, 2016.…
Awesome Sauce
An "awesome sauce" can be a very good sauce placed on food. The slang term "awesome sauce" describes someone or something "awesome," with "sauce" added as an…
Awful Broadcasting Company (ABC nickname)
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began in 1943 and is headquartered on Manhattan’s Upper West Side (near Lincoln Center). The ABC nickname of "Awful Broadcasting Company" was…
Awful House (Waffle House nickname)
Waffle House began in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia. There are now over 1,600 locations of the restaurant chain, most all in the Southern United States. The nickname "Awful House" for…
Axe (bad financial asset)
Greg Smith, an executive director of Goldman Sachs. wrote the Op-Ed "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs" in the March 14, 2012 New York (NY) Times, stating in part: "What are three quick…
Aztec Soup or Aztec Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)
"Aztec soup" or "Aztec tortilla soup" ("sopa Azteca" in Spanish) is another name for "tortilla soup." Mexico City is the probable origin for tortilla soup…
Aztec Two-Step (traveler’s diarrhea)
"Montezuma's Revenge" and "Aztec two-step" and "turista" are the colorful names for traveler's diarrhea for visitors to Mexico. The terms have spread…