German Chocolate Cake
"German chocolate cake" is from Texas? The story is familiar to food historians. The cake's name is from German's chocolate, a chocolate named after Sam German. A Texas…
Archive for 07/2006
Bucktown (Brownsville, Brooklyn or the borough of Brooklyn)
"Bucktown" is a hip-hop term for Brownsville, Brooklyn or the entire borough of Brooklyn. Maybe Brownsville receives lots of "buckshot." Urban Dictionary bucktownBrooklyn, NYC.…
BX (Bronx)
"BX" has long meant "the Bronx," but the hip-hop popularity of the term dates from the mid-late 1990s. "BK" has been used for Brooklyn. Urban Dictionarybxshort for the…
BK (Brooklyn)
"BK" is a recent abbreviation for "Brooklyn." It's become popular since 2000, when Burger King began its "BK" campaign (trademarked from July 31, 2000).…
Brooknam (Brooklyn + Vietnam)
Brooknam (Brooklyn + Vietnam) has been a hip-hop nickname for rough and tumble Brooklyn since 1997-98. Brooklyn has been gentrified in the 2000s, however; the nickname doesn't really fit and…
New York Run by the Swiss (summary)
Peter Ustinov called Toronto "New York run by the Swiss" in 1987. He meant that Toronto is a big city (like New York City), but that it's cleaner and more efficient (as if run by the…
Queens Topographical Poem
A Queens topographical poem -- written in 1926 by Ellis Parker Butler -- attempted to easily explain the new street numbering. 3 December 1926, New York Times, pg. 8:VERSE AFFORDS MEANSTO GET ABOUT…
Lone Star State (Texas nickname)
Texas is called the "Lone Star State" from the single star in its flag. “Why is Texas called the Lone Star State?"/"It’s their Yelp rating" is a modern joke. Wikipedia:…
Big Burg
"Big Burg" is a nickname for New York City (and other big cities) that was popular in the early 1900s, before the "Big Apple" 1920s citations. (Oxford English Dictionary)burg,…
Mutts (New York Mets derogatory nickname)
The New York Mets baseball team is sometimes called the "Mutts" (dogs), usually by Yankee fans or other non-fans of the club. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mutts muttsa…
Fajita
Fajitas became popular in Texas in the 1970s. I helped find the OED's two earliest entries. "Chicken fajitas" have sparked a debate among word purists who insist that the chicken has…
Cuban Sandwich; Medianoche Sandwich
Cuban sandwiches and medianoche (midnight) sandwiches are popular in Cuban communities in Florida. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Dagwood,…
Snowbird (northern tourist)
"Snowbird" is the name of a northern tourist who visits Florida to escape the winter. (Oxford English Dictionary)1923 Nation 31 Oct. 487 In winter, when building is at a standstill in the…
Pico de gallo
"Pico de gallo" is a Mexican food, but probably more Cal-Mex than Tex-Mex. I pointed this dish out to the OED and supplied the 1962 citation below. Wikipedia: Pico de galloIn Mexican…
Porkopolis (Cincinnati and Chicago nickname)
Both Cincinnati and Chicago excelled in the slaughterhouse business, and both would be called "Porkopolis." Cincinnati has the nickname "Porkopolis" as early as 1843, and…
Needless Markup (Neiman Marcus nickname)
The Dallas-based Neiman-Marcus store has a nickname. (Historical Dictionary of American Slang)Needless Markup n. a Neiman-Marcus department store. Joc.1995 Chicago man, age 29 (coll. J.…
Hashbrowns (Hash Brown Potatoes; Hashed Brown Potatoes; Hash Browns)
"Hash browns" (also called "hashbrowns," "hashed browns," "hash brown potatoes" and "hashed brown potatoes") are a popular breakfast dish, served…
Con Dead (nickname for a Con Ed power failure)
After the July 2006 Queens power failures caused by Con Ed, some have called the company "Con Dead." http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/07/26/con_dead.phpJuly 26, 2006Con Ed Restores…
Brooklyn National Anthem (“Spring is sprung…”)
The following anonymous poem ("Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the flowers is") is sometimes called the Brooklyn (or Bronx) National Anthem. The poem has been cited in…
Slice (not piece) of pizza; Square pizza
New York City pizzerias usually (though not always) sell pizza by the slice. The practice originated with the pizza itself, in Naples, Italy. The origin of the square pizza is less clear, but see…