Boardinghouse Reach (Boarding House Reach)
"Boardinghouse reach" (also "boarding house reach") is when someone reaches across the dinner table for an item, rather than politely asking for it. In boarding houses in the…
Alphebetical for "b"
BOAT (Blow Out Another Thousand)
Owning a boat can be very expensive. The joke that "boat" is an acronym for "Blow/Break/Bring/Bust Out Another Thousand (dollars)" has been cited in print since at least 1995.…
BOAT (Break Out Another Thousand)
Owning a boat can be very expensive. The joke that "boat" is an acronym for "Blow/Break/Bring/Bust Out Another Thousand (dollars)" has been cited in print since at least 1995.…
BOAT (Bring Out Another Thousand)
Owning a boat can be very expensive. The joke that "boat" is an acronym for "Blow/Break/Bring/Bust Out Another Thousand (dollars)" has been cited in print since at least 1995.…
BOAT (Bring Over Another Thousand)
Owning a boat can be very expensive. The joke that "boat" is an acronym for "Blow/Break/Bring/Bust Out Another Thousand (dollars)" has been cited in print since at least 1995.…
BOAT (Bust Out Another Thousand)
Owning a boat can be very expensive. The joke that "boat" is an acronym for "Blow/Break/Bring/Bust Out Another Thousand (dollars)" has been cited in print since at least 1995.…
Boat Check
A "boat check" is a sick leave payout given to an employee (usually in government) at retirement. The sick leave days are usually paid at the highest hourly rate, not at the rates the…
Boat Show
The Boat Show (now called the New York National Boat Show) is one of New York's longest traditions. It's slight younger than the "Auto Show," but both are over 100 years old.…
Boatgating (boat + tailgating)
"Boatgating" (boat + tailgating) is when a tailgate picnic is held from a boat instead of a car, van, or pickup truck. The tradition appears to have started at the University of…
Bobbie Burns (cocktail)
The Old Waldorf Bar takes credit for the Robert/Bobbie/Bobby Burns Cocktail. I couldn't find early confirmation of this. This cocktail gets listed in cocktail books, but it has never been…
BOBO (bacon on bagel omelet)
HOBO (ham on bagel omelet, BOBO (bacon), SOBO (sausage) and TOBO or TURBO (turkey) are breakfast sandwiches that are served with cheese and potatoes; a roll or a wrap often replaces the bagel. The…
Boccone Dolce (Sweet Mouthful)
Boccone Dolce (Italian for "sweet mouthful") is a dessert specialty of Sardi's, a restaurant in the theater district at 234 West 44th Street. Sardi's has entertained Broadway…
BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens)
"BoCoCa" is the Brooklyn area of Boerum Hill + Cobble Hill + Carroll Gardens. It's silly, of course, but it's getting some attention so I'll include it here (for what…
Bocoles
Bocoles are a form of gordita that are found in the Huasteca region of Mexico (San Luis Potosi and Veracruz). These masa (corn dough) and pork lard snacks have various fillings. Bocoles are rarely…
Bodega
"Bodega" came to us from Spain, through Cuba and Puerto Rico. The term has been used regularly in New York City since at least the 1930s, but most consistently since the 1950s and 1960s…
Body Man
A "body man" is a politician's special personal assistant. The body man might fetch coffee or make sure the politician's tie is on straight for a debate. President John F.…
Body Woman
A "body man" is a politician’s special personal assistant. A "body man" was always, historically, a man. New York (NY) Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd's June 29, 2008…
BOGO or BOGOF (Buy One, Get One Free)
"Buy one and get one free" is a familiar promotion by retailers to move product. "Buy One -- Get One Free" has been cited in print since at least 1908. "BOGOF" has…
BOGSAT or BOGSATT (Bunch of Guys Sitting Around The Table)
"BOGSAT" (also "bogsat") stands for "Bunch of Guys Sitting Around a Table." Waldemar A. Nielsen coined the term in September 1961, during the President Kennedy…
Bohemian Boulevard or Bohemian Broadway (East 72th Street in Yorkville)
"Little Bohemia" has been the name of a section of Yorkville (in Manhattan) since at least the 1890s. East 72nd Street or East 73rd Street has been called "Bohemian Boulevard"…