Spring Sphere (Easter egg)
One Seattle, Washington, school supposedly told a student that she could make "spring spheres," but not "Easter eggs." (This April 2011 story has been disputed.) The…
Archive for 04/2011
New Hampshire: “Live free or die” (motto)
"Live Free or Die" is the New Hampshire motto, approved in 1945 by its legislature after a suggestion by the Daughters of the American Revolution. New Hampshire's John Stark…
Cracker Barrel (Cracker Barrel Philosopher/Philosophy)
The "cracker barrel" (or "cracker-barrel") is a barrel containing crackers. "York Biscuit and Crackers in barrels and kegs" was printed in The Connecticut Courant…
Bank of Amerika or Bank of Amerikkka (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). The nicknames "Bank of Amerika" (indicating a communist influence)…
Crapper Barrel (Cracker Barrel nickname)
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant is a chain combining a retail store and a family-style restaurant. Cracker Barrel was founded in 1969 in Tennessee, named after the famous cracker…
Pickles and Ice Cream
"Pickles and ice cream" is an odd combination of foods, famous for being just that. In the 1910s, "pickles and ice cream" was popularized as a strange combination of favorite…
“It’s the economy, stupid”
'It's the economy, stupid" was coined by James Carville, then working as a political consultant on the successful 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton. Carville wrote on a sign…
“If you’re going to shoot the king, don’t miss”
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote in The Prince (1505 in Italian, 1513 in English) what has been translated as "Never do an enemy a small injury." If one is striking out at an…
Chez Marshalls (Marshalls nickname)
Marshalls is a department store chain specializing in low-priced clothing. Marshalls began in Boston, massachusetts, in 1956. The nickname "Chez Marshalls" has been cited in print since…
Chopped Brisket (sandwich)
Chopped brisket sandwiches are another alternative to sliced brisket sandwiches. The brisket is usually made from the "point" -- a fattier slice. The brisket is chopped and is usually…
Greenwood Heights
The Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenwood Heights takes its name from its proximity to the Green-Wood Cemetery (a National Historic Landmark). There was a Greenwood Heights Reformed Church in the…
MiMA (Middle of Manhattan)
MiMA (450 West 42nd Street in Manhattan) is a residential building from The Related Companies, trademarked from November 3, 2010. "MiMA" means "middle of Manhattan" and has been…
ProCro (Prospect Heights + Crown Heights)
"ProCro" (Prospect Heights + Crown Heights) is a neighborhood nickname that was popularized by the article "Prospect Heights Edges Into Crown Heights" in the February 18, 2011…
Drink Every Afternoon (Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA nickname)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was formed in 1973 to combat drug smuggling. The DEA nickname "Drunk Every Afternoon" has been cited in print since at least 1993. "DEA…
Don’t Expect Anything (Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA nickname)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was formed in 1973 to combat drug smuggling. The DEA nickname "Don't Expect Anything" has been cited in print since at least 1988. The…
Famous But Incompetent (Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI nickname)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was founded in 1908 and conducts federal criminal and intelligence investigations. Other investigators (such as Drug Enforcement Administration agents and…
Infernal Revenue Service (Internal Revenue Service or IRS nickname)
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collects revenue for the United States federal government. The Bureau of Internal Revenue was created after passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, allowing…
“Taking care of business” (TCB)
"Take/Taking care of business" is an old term that dates to at least the 1900s. The rock group Bachman-Turner-Overdrive (BTO) popularized the saying with their 1973 hit song,…
Temple of Capitalism (Jarmulowsky Bank nickname)
The Jarmulowsky Bank Building, at 54 Canal Street in Manhattan, was declared a New York City landmark in 2009. The 12-story building opened in 1912, just after bank founder Sender Jarmulowsky died.…
Big Three (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security)
The "Big Three" entitlement items in the federal budget of the United States are Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Many political observers believe that the "Big Three"…