Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Slumlord

A "slumlord" (or "slum landlord") is the owner of a property in disrepair who lets to tenants. The term is American and dates after the Second World War (1945--). Our first…

Slump (Apple Slump)

Entry in progress -- B.P. Dictionary of American Regional Englishapple slump n [apple + slump] chiefly NEng, esp sNEng =apple pandowdy.1831 Finn

Slushify

The term "slushify" was popularized in television advertisements fpr the product Slushy Magic (trademarked from May 21, 2011). The product claimed that it will "slushify" your…

Small Business Saturday

The first-ever "Small Business Saturday" occurred on November 27, 2010 -- sandwiched between the post-Thanksgiving shopping days of "Black Friday' and "Cyber Monday."…

Smart Alec

Gerald Cohen did research on the New York City origins of "smart alec." A piece on "smart alec" appeared in a New York Times "F.Y.I." column in 2002. Gerald Cohen…

Smart Fork

HAPILABS introduced the HAPIfork -- dubbed a "smart fork" -- at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2013. The fork keeps track of eating habits and vibrates and lights…

Smart Money

"Smart money" -- money that sophisticated, high-rolling people spend -- is a term that has been used in horseracing since at least 1893. The term "smart money" has also been…

Smashed Potatoes

"Smashed potatoes" was, originally, another way of saying "mashed potatoes." The term "smashed potatoes" has been cited in print since at least 1859. The books Maine…

Smashed Saturday

"Smashed Saturday" is a drinking slang name for a day of the week. Alcoholic drinks are sold on this day, often at a reduced price. “Smashed Saturday” has been cited in print since at…

Smiley Face

Smiling faces have existed for a very long time, but who invented the "smiley"? In 1962-63, WMCA's 'Good Guys" radio station had a logo of a "smiley" -- a…