Girl Friday (Gal Friday)
A "man Friday" is an assistant who does all kinds of work. The term is from the character of "Friday" in Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe. "Girl Friday"…
Alphebetical for "g"
Girl-inside-cake (bachelor party surprise)
Bachelor parties (and other parties where a man is being celebrated, such as a birthday party) sometimes have featured a stripper who pops out of a cake. The origin of this seemingly American…
Girther (someone suspicious about another’s weight)
The term “girther” (girth + -er) is similar to the related terms "birther (a person skeptical about another person’s birth information) and “truther” (a person skeptical of the…
Girther (someone suspicious about another’s weight)
The term “girther” (girth + -er) is similar to the related terms "birther (a person skeptical about another person’s birth information) and “truther” (a person skeptical of the…
Give me your tired, your poor (“The New Colossus”)
Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus" poem in 1883. It was affixed to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in 1903. She did not coin the term "new Colossus." See the 1878…
Giverment (giver + government)
"Giverment" is a dialect spelling of "government" that has been cited in print since at least 1914. In the 2000s, "giverment" has also meant a blend of…
Givernment (giver + government)
"Givernment" is a dialect spelling of "government" that has been cited in print since at least 1955. In the 2000s, "givernment" has also meant a blend of…
Giving Tuesday (Tuesday after Thanksgiving)
"Giving Tuesday" (the Tuesday after Thanksiving) was founded by Manhattan's 92nd Street Y in 2012, similar to days such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. In…
Glambling (glamorous + gambling; glam + bling)
"Glambling" (glamorous + gambling; glam + bling) is an infrequently used term, usually to describe people (especially women) dressed in high fashion at a casino. "The Art of…
Glance Journalism
The Apple watch was released in April 2015 and provided at-a-glance headlines and brief news stories. Sportswriter Dan Shanoff wrote in September 2014: "And yet even that notification layer…
Gland Canyon (Broadway at Times Square)
Broadway -- New York City's theatrical center -- was briefly called the "Gland Canyon" (gland + Grand Canyon) in the late 1920s and early 1930s. "Gland Canyon" was printed…
Gland Canyon (Broadway at Times Square)
Broadway -- New York City's theatrical center -- was briefly called the "Gland Canyon" (gland + Grand Canyon) in the late 1920s and early 1930s. "Gland Canyon" was printed…
Glass Ceiling
The "glass ceiling" is an invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from rising higher up the corporate ladder; thosethat do are said to "shatter the glass ceiling."…
Glass Cliff
Women often break the "glass ceiling" to get a job. However, when women get an executive job, they often face a "glass cliff." As explained in "Introducing... the glass…
Glass Zoo (United Nations Building)
"Glass Zoo" is a nickname for the United Nations' glass headquarters in New York City, used by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., in a 2005 story about John Bolton, the United States…
Glatt Kosher
Entry in progress -- B.P. About.com: Kosher FoodWhat is Glatt Kosher?By Giora Shimoni, About.comQuestion: What is Glatt Kosher?Answer: The technical definition of glatt kosher is meat from animals…
Gliberal (glib + liberal)
The term "gliberal" (glib + liberal) has had a long -- though infrequent -- usage. Newspaper columnist Walter Winchell used "gliberal" in 1947; Averell Harriman used…
Glibertarian (glib + libertarian)
A "glibertarian" (glib + libertarian) is someone who professes libertarian views of limited government, but who actually supports government programs in practice. A…
Glitch
A "glitch" is problem (such as a computer "bug"), usually involving technology. The Oxford English Dictionary states "etymology unknown." Merriam-Webster and the…
Glittering Grotto in the Sky (530 East 72nd Street)
The 3,200-square foot, 4-bedroom penthouse at 530 East 72nd Street was owned by Frank Sinatra from 1961 to 1972, where he held many famous parties. Artist Andy Warhol dubbed it a "glittering…