Bacontrepreneur (bacon + entrepreneur)
"Bacontrepreneur" (bacon + entrepreneur) is a term coined by Seattle's Justin Esch and Dave Lefow in 2007, with the introduction of their product, Bacon Salt. The term…
Alphebetical for "b"
Bad News (nickname for the restaurant check)
"The bad news" is a jocular name for the restaurant or bar bill. "When you come to the end of your meal and the waiter brings in the bad news" was cited in print in 1918.…
Bad News Bear (Bear Stearns nickname)
Bear Stearns is a brokerage firm that was founded in New York City in 1923. In March 2008, the firm's stock price fell rapidly and negotiations were made to sell the firm. Bear Stearns was…
Badgehole (SXSW festival nickname)
"Badgehole" (badge + asshole) is an epithet used by some at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, held annually in Austin. There are badges to get into events, but these are usually…
Badvertising (bad + advertising)
"Badvertising" (bad + advertising) is a word that has been cited in print since at least 1911. The magazine Adweek began annual "badvertising awards" in 1982. The…
Bag Lady
Lily Tomlin got the character of the "bag lady" exactly right. Her performance should be available on video somewhere. The Historical Dictionary of American Slang has: "Orig. N.Y.C.…
Bag of Mystery (sausage)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary_bag of mystery n. (usually in pl. bags of mystery) slang a sausage or saveloy.1864 J. C. Hotten Slang Dict. (new ed.) 69. 1879 W. J. Barry Up…
Bagdad-on-the-Subway
"Bagdad-on-the-Subway" was O. Henry's nickname for New York City. Other writers soon called it "Bagdad on the Hudson." The nickname is about 100 years old and does not…
Bagel Ball (Bantam Bagel)
Entry in progress -- B.P Bantam BagelsBantam Bagels are mini, filled bagel balls!Bantam Bagels is different than any other New York bagel shop. Why? Because at Bantam Bagels we produce fresh,…
Bagel Beach (Seventh Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets)
The Stage Delicatessen, on 834 Seventh Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets in Manhattan, was opened by Russian immigrant Max Asnas (1898-1968) in 1937. The deli became a favorite with the Broadway…
Bagel Beach (sidewalk in front of the Stage Delicatessen)
The Stage Delicatessen, on 834 Seventh Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets in Manhattan, was opened by Russian immigrant Max Asnas (1898-1968) in 1937. The deli became a favorite with the Broadway…
Bagel Land
A bagel is a bread product with a hole in the center. The bagel -- like the donut, with its hole in the center -- has long symbolized the number "zero" or "0." The tennis…
Bagel; Bagel & Lox; Bagel “All the Way”; Everything Bagel
Bagels did not originate in New York City, but were brought to the city by Eastern European immigrants. Cited below is a forgotten "old world" citation referring to the 1870s in…
Baghdad-by-the-Bay (summary)
Herb Caen (1916-1997) coined the nickname "Baghdad-by-Bay" in his San Francisco newspaper columns. He was "Mr. San Francisco." Neither the San Francisco Chronicle nor the San…
Baghdad-on-the-Bayou (Houston nickname)
Houston is often called "the Bayou City" because of its historic location on the Buffalo Bayou. Short-story writer O. Henry (1852-1910) -- who lived in Texas as well as New York City --…
Baghdad-on-the-Bayou (New Orleans nickname)
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans in 2005, several commentators nicknamed that city "Baghdad-on-the-Bayou." The comparison was with Baghdad, Iraq, where a war was…
Bagnut or Dogel (bagel + donut)
Bagels and donuts both have holes in them -- what if they could be combined? "Bagnut" and "doughngel" were cited in print in 2003. "Dogel" was cited in print in 2008.…
Bail-In
An opposite term to the "bailout" (giving a loan to a company or country which faces serious financial difficulty) is the "bail-in" In May 1998, The Independent (UK) declared:…
Bailout
A "bail out" (now the one-word "bailout") is a financial rescue to a failing entity, such as a government loan to support a failing bank. The term began in 1932 with the…