“Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?”
"Animal crackers" (crackers made in animal shapes) have been sold commercially since the late 19th century. In an April 2, 1996 "Family Circus" comic strip, young Billy eats…
Archive for /P36740
“Why did the chicken cross the road?” (joke)
"Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!" This joke is cited in print in the March 1847 The Knickerbocker (New York monthly magazine). An 1872 variant is: "Why…
“What starts with T, ends with T, and is full of T?” (food riddle)
"What starts with T, ends with T, and is full of T? A teapot." This popular riddle has been cited in print since at least 1933. “How do you turn a T into a P?"/"Drink it"…
“Why don’t cannibals eat clowns?”/“Because they taste funny!”
"Why don't cannibals eat clowns? Because they taste funny!" This popular cannibal-eats-clown joke (wordplay on "tastes funny" meaning "strange" or "not…
Jaikishan Heights (Jackson Heights)
Jackson, Heights, Queens, has been called "Little India" since at least 1985 for its many Indian businesses at 74th Street area (between Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Avenue). Jackson Heights…
Little Pakistan (Midwood, Brooklyn)
The Midwood section of Brooklyn -- on Coney Island Avenue, between Avenue H and Newkirk Avenue -- has been called "Little Pakistan" because of its many residents of Pakistani descent. The…
“Practice safe eating—always use condiments”
In 1985-86 (during the AIDS epidemic), health authorities encouraged people to practice "safe sex" and to "always use a condom." By 1987, restaurants parodied this with "Be…
Little Bangladesh
"Little Bangladesh" is a neighborhood nickname for any area filled with people of Bangladesh descent. New York City had more than one "Little Bangladesh." The Kensington section…
Little Manila
"Little Manila" (after the capital of the Philippines) is a neighborhood nickname for a community filled with people of Filipino descent. There are many "Little Manilas" around…
Little India (Lexington Avenue in Manhattan)
"Little India" describes the area along Lexington Avenue (between East 26th and East 30th Streets) in Manhattan, just south of Murray Hill. The neighborhood features many Indian…
Little India (Jackson Heights, Queens)
Jackson Heights, Queens, has been called "Little India" since at least 1985. In 1992, the 74th Street area (between Roosevelt Avenue and 37th Avenue) was officially named "Little…
“They all share the same kitchen” (East 6th Street Indian restaurant joke)
"Little India" began on East 6th Street (between First and Second Avenues) in Manhattan in 1968, when the first Indian restaurant opened. By at least the 1990s, a joke has frequently been…
“Hooker: Would you like super sex? Old Timer: I’ll have the soup!”
A joke is frequently told about an old person who loses his appetite for sex -- but not his appetite. His friends hire a prostitute for the old man's birthday. "Would you like to have…
Financial Weapons of Mass Destruction (derivatives)
Derivatives (such as forwards, futures, options, and swaps) can be risky financial investments. Warren Buffett, C.E.O. of Berkshire Hathway, wrote in its 2002 annual report (published in March…
Fiscal Child Abuse (deficit spending)
"Fiscal child abuse" is another name for deficit spending -- where the children (future) are left with the bill for the present. The term has come into increasing use in the United States…
“Government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have”
U.S. president Gerald Ford told Congress in 1974: "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." The saying…
Melba Toast (Toast Melba)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Melba toastMelba toast is a very dry, crisp, thinly sliced toast often served with soups and salads or topped with either melted cheese or pâté. It is named…
Peach Melba (Pêche Melba)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Peach MelbaThe Peach Melba is a classic dessert, invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London to honour the…
Park in the Sky (High Line)
The High Line was a 1.45-mile elevated railroad on the west side of Manhattan, built in the 1930s for commercial warehouse traffic. The High Line ceased to be used by 1980 and was proposed to be…
Jerrydome or Jerry Dome (Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington)
Cowboys Stadium (the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys football team, located in Arlington, TX) was completed in May 2009. It is the largest domed stadium in the world. By at least March 2007, the…