Ladies’ Night
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Ladies' nightA ladies' night (sometimes ladies night) is a promotional event, often at a bar or nightclub, where female patrons get a reduced price…
Archive for 04/2009
“Shut up, Brooklyn”
The snarky website Gawker.com published a story on February 22, 2008 titled: "Report: Williamsburg Not As Cool As It Was, Earth Revolves Around Sun." TheHonJudgeSmalls commented:…
Waldorf Hysteria (Waldorf-Astoria Hotel nickname)
New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is infrequently called the "Waldorf Hysteria." When a popular celebrity or political figure stays in the Waldorf, newspaper headlines often describe…
Top Banana & Second Banana
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Top Banana"Top Banana" has multiple meanings. . Top Banana is the starring act in a Vaudeville performance. Originally, the phrase "Top…
Bankster (banker + gangster)
"Bankster" (banker + gangster) has been cited in print since at least December 22, 1931, when it was described as "a combination of banker and gangster, expressing French opinion of…
Radio (tuna fish sandwich)
A tuna fish sandwich (or a tuna salad sandwich) on toast is called a "radio" (or "radio down") in diner slang. "Tuna" was taken for "tune it," and "tuna…
“In the weeds”
"In the weeds" is restaurant slang for "lost,' meaning that a waiter or waitress is so swamped with work that he or she is "lost in the weeds" and can't possibly…
“And nobody got hurt!”
"And nobody got hurt!" was the catchphrase of New York City television sports new anchor Len Berman. Berman had a segment on WNBC called "Spanning the World," featuring…
New York City’s Official Apple Proposal—Newtown Pippin (2009)
In 2009, an effort was made to declare the Newtown Pippin the official apple of the Big Apple. Newtown -- now called Elmhurst, Queens -- had a creek; some time about the 1730s, Gershom Moore…
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…
Bronx Vanilla (garlic)
"Bronx vanilla" has been the diner lingo term for "garlic" since the 1930s. The term is historical and is not used today. Other diner lingo names for garlic include…
“I scream for ice cream” (“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”)
"I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream" is the title of a popular 1927 song. However, the spelling "I scream" for "ice cream" has been used in New York…
Texaplex
"Texaplex" was trademarked in October 2008 by David Winans of David Winans GMAC Real Estate. A "Texaplex" video was made about Texas real estate that was distributed on YouTube…
Gourmonster (gourmet/gourmand + monster)
On April 22, 2009, a New York (NY) Post story by Carla Spartos was titled: "Gourmonsters: They're the food police, and they think they're better than you." The new word is a…
“Chocolate milk comes from brown cows” (“Chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows”)
Chocolate milk has been a popular product since the 1920s. The old joke is that city children are so unfamiliar about where food comes from that they believe "chocolate milk comes from brown…
“A woman’s place is in the kitchen”
"A woman's place is in the home" is a phrase that -- with different wording -- dates from at least classical Greece. "A woman's place is in the bosom of her family" is…
Arugulance (arugula + arrogance)
"Arugulance" was popularized by Maureen Dowd's New York (NY) Times column, titled "The Aura of Arugulance," published online April 18, 2009. Dowd had been talking about the…
Toddy (Hot Toddy)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Hot toddyHot toddy is a name given to a mixed drink that is served hot, believed to have originated in the 18th century to make the taste of Scotch more…
Georgia Ice Cream (grits)
Grits are served in many states in the American South (such as Georgia). During World War II, soldiers called grits "Georgia ice cream." The jocular nickname is still used from Georgia to…
Cocktail Franks (Cocktail Weiners; Cocktail Wieners; Cocktail Weenies)
"Cocktail franks" are small-sized frankfurters often served with a toothpick as hors d'oeuvres during a cocktail hour. Prohibition ended in the United States on December 5, 1933;…