“Too small to bail”
"Too small to bail" is the opposite of "too big to fail." A company that is very large is sometimes deemed "too big to fail" because many other companies would fail…
Archive for 09/2009
Fauxthor (faux author)
The website Pimp My Wry (written by Kim Ficera) coined the term "fauxthor" (faux author) on May 14, 2009. The term refers to a politician or celebrity who "authors" a book --…
The United States of Goldman Sachs
Hank Paulson, a former chairman and chief executive officer of the financial firm of Goldman Sachs, was United States Treasury Secretary from July 2, 2006-January 20, 2009. The influence of Goldman…
Vampire Squid (Goldman Sachs nickname)
Matt Taibbi wrote in Rolling Stone of Jul 13, 2009: "The first thing you need to know about Goldman Sachs is that it's everywhere. The world's most powerful investment bank is a…
Breakfast Pizza
Entry in progress -- B.P. Serious Eats - New YorkOrtine vs. Motorino: Two Breakfast Pizzas in BrooklynPosted by Carey Jones, April 13, 2009 at 10:00 AMPizza is a good thing. Breakfast is a good…
Mexican Brownie
A "Mexican brownie" is a chocolate brownie. There is no standard recipe for a "Mexican brownie" and some food authors (see the 1997 citation below) question if there really is…
“Indescribably delicious”
"Indescribably delicious" has described many things since at least the early 1800s. Chocolates and desserts have been described n advertising as "indescribably delicious" since…
Bullet Sandwich
The Quiznos chain of sandwich shops introduced a "bullet" sandwich in July 2009. A "bullet" is smaller than a Quiznos "torpedo" sandwich. An editorial cartoon in 1974…
Gravy Train (Gravy Boat)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Merriam-Webster Online DictionaryMain Entry: gravy trainFunction: noun Date: 1914: a much exploited source of easy money; also : gravy 2a (Oxford English…
Foodiot (foodie + idiot)
"Foodiot" is derived from the words "foodie" amd "idiot." The term was popularized in the New York (NY) Observer, September 22, 2009, "The Foodiots" by Joe…
King of Condiments (ketchup; mustard; salsa; shoyu; Tabasco)
Ketchup, King of Condiments was the title of a 2004 PBS documentary film. Although ketchup has long been regarded as the king of American condiments, the title has not been without serious…
“Champagne wishes and caviar dreams”
"Champagne wishes and caviar dreams" was the closing line spoken by host Robin Leach on the television show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (1984-1995). Broadway columnist Walter…
“You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit”
The expressive flip side to "chicken salad" is "chicken feathers" (a euphemism for "chicken shit"). A difference "between chicken salad and chicken feathers"…
“One man’s chicken shit is another man’s chicken salad”
"One man's chicken shit is another man's chicken salad" is an expressive way of saying that people have different tastes. The saying is cited in print from at least 2001.…
Mulita
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TacoAlso prepared on the grill is a sandwiched taco called mulita ("little mule") made with meat served between two tortillas and garnished with…
Quesadilla on Steroids (mulita)
LA Weekly (CA) food critic Janathan Gold described (in a 1999 column) a mulita at La Taquiza as being "a sort of quesadilla on steroids." A mulita consists of two corn tortillas…
Fried Food Capital of Texas (State Fair of Texas)
The State Fair of Texas began its friendly food fight, the Big Tex Choice Awards, in 2005. The nickname "Fried Food Capital of Texas" was added in 2006. The State Fair of Texas has long…
Lick-log (“down to the lick-log” or “up to the lick-log”)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Phrase FinderRe: Up to the licklogPosted by Baceseras on February 27, 2008 at 18:48:(...)A licklog is a salt-lick, especially one framed in a log or felled tree.…
Mainstream Media (MSM)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Mass mediaMass media denotes a section of the media specifically designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a nation state. The term was…
Fringe Media
Conservative radio and television commentator Glenn Beck coined the term "fringe media" on September 16, 2009, for what had been termed the "mainstream media" (MSM). Beck…