St. John the Unfinished (St. John the Divine)
The Cathedral church of St. John the Divine on Morningside Heights (110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue) was started in the 1890s and is still not finished. It's been called St. John('s)…
Origin of “Gopher” (Minnesota nickname)
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The New York Gazette will eventually be digitized. Until them, we don't know much about St. Patrick's Day in New York in the 1700s. The St. Patrick's Day Parade is one of New…
St. Paul Sandwich
The St. Paul sandwich is a sandwich that contains egg. The original "St. Paul" sandwich dates to the 1890s, and a "St. Paul" sandwich (or "egg foo young" sandwich) has…
St. Wapniacl (Cabinet mnemonic)
"St. Wapniacl" was the old mnemonic to remember the offices of the President of the United States' Cabinet. It was arranged in order of creation and importance: State, Treasury, War,…
Stable Row
New York has (or had) more than one "stable row." The "stable row" near the famous Dakota building, on Amsterdam Avenue from 75th to 77th Streets, failed to be landmarked in…
Stacked Enchiladas (Enchiladas Chatas) or Mounted Enchiladas (Enchiladas Montadas)
Most enchiladas in Texas are rolled, but New Mexico is famous for its stacked enchiladas, resembling stacked pancakes. Stacked enchiladas (enchiladas chatas) are also a specialty of Sonora, Mexico.…
Stage Mother
A "stage mother" is the mother of a stage performer -- usually a daughter. The stereotypical stage mother does everything to make her child a star. A classic description is of the mothers…
Stage-door Johnny
Following the "dude" craze in New York City of 1883 came the "stage-door Johnny." This character waited at the stage door for his gal to come out after the show.…
Stairway to Heaven
A "stairway to heaven" is a stairway outside of a residential building, usually leading to the second flour. The stairway provides a place to sit, but many consider the architecture to be…
Stairway to Nowhere (nickname of Vessel at Hudson Yards)
"Vessel" is the name of the Thomas Heatherwick-designed structure at the Hudson Yards on the West Side of Manhattan, opened on March 15, 2019. The honeycomb-like structure has 154 flights…
Stalingrad & Poorski (Standard & Poor’s nickname)
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is one of the “big three” credit-rating agencies, along with Moody’s and Fitch. The financial blog Zero Hedge gave the company a Soviet-style nickname in a…
Stand and Deliver (singing with limited theatrical movement)
"Park and bark" refers to when a singer -- especially in an opera -- parks in a certain place and barks out the music. Modern performances try to eliminate "park-and-bark" by…
Standard American Diet (SAD)
Food authors have discussed the term "standard American diet" in print since at least the 1930s. The name "Standard American Diet" and its acronym "S.A.D." have been…
Stank of America (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). Critics of Bank of America have given it the unflattering nickname of…
Star (cocktail)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 21 May 1893, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, pg. 17, col. 2:THE MANHATTAN.The Greatest of American Democratic Clubs.The Manhattan club at Fifth avenue and Thirty-fourth…
Star of the Texas Hill Country (Comfort slogan)
Comfort calls itself the "Star of the Texas Hill Country." Some websites claim the title for Wimberley or for Boerne. Handbook of Texas OnlineCOMFORT, TEXAS. Comfort, the second largest…
Star-Spangled Banner (Star-Spangled Flag)
The term "star spangled flag" dates to 1805. Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) wrote a poem to the then-popular London tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven" that included the lyric: By…
Starbuckese or Starbucksese (language of Starbucks)
"Starbuckese" (or the less-frequently used "Starbucksese") is the language used by the coffeehouse chain Starbucks. "Starbuck-ese" has been cited in print since at…
Starbugs (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…
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…