West Indian Day Carnival; “Murder Day Parade”
The West Indian Day Carnival is held over the Labor Day weekend in September. It began in Harlem in the late 1940s, moved to Brooklyn in the 1950s, and now draws hundreds of thousands of people.…
Sports/Games
West Sider or Westsider
A "West Sider" (or "Westsider," also lowercase "west sider" and "westsider") is someone who inhabits the west side of a geographical area.…
West Texas Rain (a sandstorm)
A sandstorm (or dust storm) has been called "West Texas rain." The humorous bit of slang is not based on fact; it rains in West Texas much more often than you'll see a sandstorm.…
West Texas Sunset (cocktail)
The "West Texas Sunset" cocktail is not nearly as popular as the similar "Tequila Sunrise." Pomegranate juice is used rather than grenadine. Best of Minneapolis 2002 Bar…
West Virginia: Switzerland of America (nickname)
Many areas with mountains in the United States have been dubbed a "Switzerland of America." "The Green mountains of Vermont, the Switzerland of America" was cited in 1835. New…
Westchester: Golden Apple (nickname)
Westchester County also got into the "Big Apple" act in the late 1970s, copying New York City with a "Golden Apple" campaign of its own. The nickname is still used, but does not…
Westchester: Wedge Sandwich
A regional sandwich name in Westchester (Yonkers) for the hero/sub/hoagie is "wedge." Again, I checked the telephone directories. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long…
Western Sandwich (Denver Sandwich; Denver Omelet)
A "Western sandwich" (also called a "Denver sandwich" or "Denver omelet") usually consists of an omelet with ham, onions, and green pepper, served between two slices…
Western Wasabi (horseradish)
Horseradish is often compared to wasabi. Wasabi was called "Japanese horseradish" in 1903 by American botanist and plant explorer David Fairchild (1869-1954). "An Expert Describes…
Westerned
"Get Westerned" is explained in a 2009 Dallas (TX) Morning News business article by Cheryl Hall (see below) as a Texas term for when a business deal goes sideways or upside down.…
Westoria (west + Astoria)
"Westoria" (west + Astoria) is a name coined in 2017 for west Astoria, Queens -- also called "Old Astoria" or "Old Astoria Village" -- in the area west of 21st Street,…
Westside Manhattan (cocktail)
The Westside Manhattan is a new name for the classic Manhattan cocktail. Included are whiskey and vermouth -- Irish whiskey, as this drink is popular on St. Patrick's Day. Angostura bitters…
Wet Burrito (Burrito Enchilada Style)
A "wet burrito" is the same as a "burrito enchilada style." A burrito is prepared, and then it is smothered with red (or green) chili sauce and often melted cheese. The origin…
Wet Coast (wet + west coast)
Cities such as Vancouver (British Columbia), Seattle (Washington) and Portland (Oregon) get a lot of rain. "The wet coast" was cited in the book Canada: This Land of Ours (1976). The term…
Wetback (Wet Back)
"Wetback" (or "wet back") is a derisive slang term for a Mexican (who crosses the Rio Grande into Texas and has a "wet back"). The term has been used from at least…
Whac-A-Mole Season
The end of the session in Albany -- when the state budget is being approved -- is sometimes known as the "Whac-A-Mole" season. Special interest legislation pops up, to be passed through…
Whack Ass Queens or Whack Ass Queenz (Queens)
"Crack is Wack" is a famous Manhattan mural that was painted by Keith Haring (1958-1990) in 1986. "Wack" or "whack" comes from "wack" or "whacky,"…
Whackage
Barry Ritholtz's financial blog, The Big Picture, has been using the term "whackage" (whack + package/wreckage) since at least February 2006. A typical Friday blog headline is…
Whaddya, Whaddya (Whaddaya, Whaddaya)
"Whaddya, whaddaya" (or "whaddaya, whaddaya") is supposedly a New York City saying, but it can also be found on The Sopranos television program. It means "what do…
Wham Bam Tram or A Streetcar Named Disaster (Houston’s MetroRail)
The city of Houston's MetroRail system is 7.5 miles of light rail, first opened in 2004. MetroRail had so many accidents in its first months of operation that it was being dubbed the…