Brexting (breakup + texting; breastfeeding + texting)
"Brexting" is two different types of texting. "Brexting" (breakup + texting) is from 2009. "New Word! -- Brexting: (verb) Breaking up via text message" was cited on…
Alphebetical for "b"
BRIC (Brazil + Russia + India + China)
"BRIC" is an acronym for the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The term was coined by Jim O'Neill, head of Goldman Sachs' Global Economic Research Group, in his 2001…
Bridal Building
The Bridal Building is in the Garment District (or, Fashion Center) at 1385 Broadway, by 38th Street. The name "Bridal Building" itself isn't that old, but bridal wear has been in…
Bridal Row; Wedding Row
A Lower East Side Street (I forget which) was said to have so many wedding shops that it was called "Bridal Row." That name doesn't seem to come up in the digitized New York Times…
Bridegrooms (Brooklyn baseball team)
"Bridegrooms" was a 19th-century nickname of the Brooklyn club that later became the Brooklyn Dodgers, now the Los Angeles Dodgers. Several of the team's players were recently…
Bridge (card game)
The card game of "bridge" or "bridge whist" was popularized by the whist players of New York City as early as 1893. The game's origins remain a mystery. (Oxford English…
Bridge and Tunnel People
The "bridge-and-tunnel people" or "bridge-and-tunnel crowd" is a holdover term from the Studio 54-era of the 1970s. It's usually a disparaging term, but why look down on…
Bridgegate (George Washington Bridge lane closures)
The George Washington Bridge had lane closures in September 2013 that caused major traffic problems. The lanes weren't closed because of a traffic accident or because of construction; it was…
Bridgetown (Portland nickname)
The city of Portland has been nicknamed "Bridgetown" because of the many bridges crossing the Williamette river (11 bridges) and Columbia river (3 bridges). Deborah Betron founded…
Briehab (brie + rehab)
"Briehab" (brie + rehab) is where someone might go who is addicted to cheese. Brie is a soft cow's-milk cheese. "Fake Word Of the Day: Briehab" was posted on Twitter by…
Briet (bridal diet)
The word "briet" (for "bridal diet") was popularized just before the April 29, 2011 wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine "Kate" Middleton. The…
Brimaquonx
"Brimaquonx" (Brooklyn + Staten Island + Manhattan + Queens + Bronx) was once suggested as the name for New York City. The proposed name is known largely through a mention in Mario…
Brisket Taco
The "taco" is a Mexican sandwich that dates in English to around 1900, but the "brisket taco" was popularized in the 1980s at Mia's Tex-Mex Restaurant in Dallas. Several…
British Accreditation Registry (“bar” backronym)
The legal "bar"is sometimes said to be an acronym (or backronym) for "British Accredited Registry" or "British Accreditation Registry." "The acronym BAR was…
British Brainwashing Corporation (British Broadcasting Corporation or BBC nickname)
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a channel that is available on many cable systems around the world. The BBC has been given the backronym (back acronym) of "British Brainwashing…
British Bullshit Corporation (British Broadcasting Corporation or BBC nickname)
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is a channel that is available on many cable systems around the world. The BBC has been given the backronym (back acronym) of "British Bullshit…
British Invasion (Broadway in the 1950s; rock and roll music in the 1960s)
The 1960s musical term "British Invasion" refers to the introduction to the United States of pop and rock groups such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, the Dave…
Brixit (Great Britain/British + exit)
"Brixit” (Great Britain/British + exit) is a word created to define a possible British exit from the eurozone. "Brixit" has been cited in print since at least June 2012. A similar…
Broadway (Coca-Cola with vanilla ice cream)
According to Mimi Sheraton, a "Broadway" was Coca-Cola with vanilla ice cream. "Coke float" is the popular term. See also the "Broadway soda" entry in this section. 7…
Broadway (slang for flashy dresser, loud talker)
The Sporting News Record Book (1937) included this piece of baseball slang: "Broadway -- A flashy dresser, loud talker." "Broadway" is the name of a main thoroughfare in many…