Boobeoisie or Booboisie (boob + bourgeoisie)
The writer and critic H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) coined the term "booboisie" (boob + bourgeosie) in the Baltimore (MD) Evening Sun on February 15, 1922. Mencken meant to describe a middle…
Archive for 04/2011
Money Making Manhattan (Money Makin’ Manhattan)
"Money Making Manhattan" or Money Makin' Manhattan" (or just "Money Makin'" or "Money-Makin'") has been a rap nickname for Manhattan (or just…
“A nation that cannot control its borders can’t control its destiny”
U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) is often credited for having said at some time in the 1980s, "A nation that cannot control its borders isn't really a nation." Reagain said…
“The penalty for not participating in politics is to be governed by your inferiors”
The philosopher Plato (428/427 BC – 348/347 BC) wrote this, from the English translation of Republic 347c: "That is perhaps why to seek office oneself and not await compulsion is thought…
“He can jump out of the gym” (cliché said of athletic NBA, NFL draft prospect)
The NBA and NFL drafts are often held in New York City. A draft prospect is sometimes said to be "strong as a bull/ox" (very strong) or someone who can "run like a deer" (very…
Starfucks (Starbucks nickname)
Starbucks Coffee Company is a coffeehouse chain that began in Seattle, Washington in 1971. There are many Starbucks outlets in New York City, especially in Manhattan. The Starbucks nickname of…
Charbucks (Starbucks nickname)
Starbucks Coffee Company is a coffeehouse chain that began in Seattle, Washington in 1971. There are many Starbucks outlets in New York City, especially in Manhattan. Starbucks has been criticized…
Fourbucks or Fivebucks (Starbucks nickname)
Starbucks Coffee Company is a coffeehouse chain that began in Seattle, Washington in 1971. There are many Starbucks outlets in New York City, especially in Manhattan. There has been some criticism…
“The only communists left are in China, Cuba, North Korea and on American universities”
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991-92, there was a joke that the only communists left in the world could be found in China, Cuba, North Korea, and on American university campuses. The joke…
“Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair”
The Memorial Arch (constructed in 1889) of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village reads: "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hand of…
Barclays Bank=Wank (Barclays Bank rhyming slang)
Barclays Bank was founded in 1690 and is headquartered in London. Barclays is known to New Yorkers mostly for its sponsorship of the Brooklyn arena ("Barclays Center") for the Nets of the…
Ain’t I Greedy or Aren’t I Greedy (American International Group or AIG nickname)
The American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an insurance company with headquarters in New York City. In September 2008, the U.S. federal government provided the company with billions in credit…
All Investments Gone (American International Group or AIG nickname)
The American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an insurance company with headquarters in New York City. In September 2008, the U.S. federal government provided the company with billions in credit…
Food Court
A "food court" is a grouping of food vendors, usually part of a larger shopping mall. The Rouse Company popularized food courts, with the March 1974-opened Paramus (NJ) Park shopping mall…
First National Bank of Bumfuck, Egypt (fictional remote bank)
"Bumfuck, Egypt" has been used in American slang since at least 1972 to mean a very remote place. Who knew that the place had a bank? "The First National Bank of Bumfuck" means…
Disrespectchup (disrespect + ketchup)
"Disrespectchup" (disrespect + ketchup) was coined on Reddit on April 24, 2001, by a husband whose wife added ketchup to his "lovingly grilled lime pork tenderloin." The word…
Pervertico (Politico nickname)
Conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin read a Politico.com political news story, "Mission for anti-Palin movement: Expose her" by Kenneth Vogel, on the air on April 25, 2011. Levin…
Spendaholic (spend + -aholic)
'Spendaholic" (spend + -aholic) is someone who has the disease of excess spending, much like an acoholic has with alcohol. The term "spendaholic" has been cited in print since…
Douche Bank (Deutsche Bank mispronunciation/nickname)
Deutsche Bank (literally, "German Bank") was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. There are several offices in New York City. Deutsche Bank is probably…
DBAG or D-Bag (Deutsche Bank AG nickname)
Deutsche Bank (literally, "German Bank") was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. There are several offices in New York City. Deutsche Bank is probably…