Teflon Don
Teflon is a no-stick cooking surface. People have been called "Teflon" when things (such as criminal charges) don't stick to them. Italian-American gangster John Gotti (1940-2002)…
Food/Drink
Teh Blahz (The Blaze website nickname)
The Blaze is a conservative news website, founded by Fox News host Glenn Beck, that premiered on August 31, 2010. On October 30, 2010, commenter "epkkik851" at Media Matters for America…
Tejano
"Texas" comes from "Tejas" (supposedly meaning "friendship"), and "Tejano" is derived from this native word. "Tejano" means a native or inhabitant…
Tejolote (stone pestle)
A tejolote is a stone pestle, used with a molcajete (mortar) to grind food. It is a traditional piece of Mexican cookery. (Oxford English Dictionary)molcajete, n.A mortar, usually made of stone or…
Telecom Corridor (Richardson nickname)
The "Telecom Corridor" is a registered trademark (since 1988) of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. The city of Richardson (near Dallas) is home to many technology companies, including…
Telegram Square and Globe Square (formerly in lower Manhattan)
"Globe Square" was named in 1911 after The Globe newspaper (also called The New York Evening Globe and The Globe and Commercial Advertiser, located at Dey Street, from Greenwich Street to…
Telegraph Capitol of America (Western Union Building, 60 Hudson Street)
The building at 60 Hudson Street in Manhattan (now called "60 Hudson") was originally the Western Union Building. It was the main office for Western Union for many years, until the…
Telera (Mexican flat bread)
"Telera" (sometimes misspelled "Talera," and often given in plural as "Teleras") is a Mexican bread popularly used for "tortas" (submarine sandwiches). It is…
Telethon
The first "telethon" was held in New York. The name comes from "telephone" (or "television" or "telecast") and "marathon." Viewers call in with…
Tell-lie-vision
"Tell-lie-vision" (for "television") is a term used by those who believe that the medium -- especially the television network news -- spreads lies. "I was asked if the…
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.…
Tempura
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TempuraTempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅 tenpura, [tẽ̞mpɯᵝɾa]) is a Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and…
Ten Bagger (Tenbagger)
"Ten bagger" (or "tenbagger") is a term coined by Wall Street stock investor Peter Lynch for a stock that's worth ten times its original price. In baseball, a…
Ten Gallon Hat
A "ten gallon hat" cannot hold ten gallons of water. The "gallon" term is said to come from the Spanish word galon, a decorative braid worn on the hat. "Gallon hats"…
Ten O’Clock Number (10 O’Clock Number)
An "11 o'clock number/song" -- also called a "10 o'clock number/song" -- is a showstopper, usually sung by a musical's star as the second-to-last song in the…
Ten-Foot Cop (NYPD Mounted Unit)
The New York Police Department has a mounted unit; such an officer is sometimes called a "ten-foot cop." The term "ten-foot cop" also appears to be used by mounted units of…
Tenderfoot (or Tender Foot)
A "tenderfoot" (or "tender foot") is a "greenhorn" or a "pilgrim" -- someone new to the West, often fresh from the East. The name comes from someone new to…
Tenderloin
The once-seedy heart of New York City was once called the "Tenderloin." Police Captain Alexander Williams allegedly coined the term in the late 1870s, but the earliest citations that I…
Tenement House
The "tenement house" is believed to have started in New York City, on Cherry Street in 1838. "Tenement" is from the Latin tenere (to hold). (Oxford English Dictionary)tenement…
Tenement House in a Shower of Rain (hamburger steak and gravy)
"Tenement house in a shower of rain" was old New York City restaurant slang for "beefsteak and gravy." The term was first cited in an 1888 newspaper, reporting on the strange…