Veep (vice president or VP)
"Veep" is the nickname of the vice president, from the initials V.P. The word "veep" was influenced by the 1940s popularity of the word "jeep," often said to have been…
Food/Drink
Veepstakes (Veep + sweepstakes)
"Veepstakes" (Veep + sweepstakes) is the selection contest for a vice presidential candidate. The jocular usage has been cited in print from at least 1952 and 1964, but began to be…
Veer (football offensive formation)
The "Veer" offensive formation (also called the "Houston Veer" or "Veer-T") is credited to University of Houston football coach Bill Yeoman (1962-1986), who installed…
Veganuary (vegan + January)
"Veganuary" (vegan + January), pronounced "vee-gan-uary," is a pledge to eat vegan for the month of January. "Veganuary" was posted on Twitter on November 22, 2009.…
Vegducken or Veggieducken (veggie + turducken)
Turducken (turkey + duck + chicken) is a popular Thanksgiving meal. There have been many imitations made without meat. "What next, vegetarian Turducken?" was a newspaper headline in…
Vegetarian Chili (Meatless Chili)
Chili is the official state dish of Texas, but the legislators meant chili con carne (chili with meat). Vegetarian chili became popular in the 1960s and 1970s and was first featured in cookoffs in…
Veggie Burger
A "vegetable burger" or "veggie burger" usually describes a hamburger-type sandwich without meat. In 1954 and 1955, drive-ins offered a "vegetable burger" -- a regular…
Veggie Confetti or Vegetable Confetti (Veggie Confetti Taco; Veggie Confetti Chili)
"Vegetable confetti" (or "veggie confetti") is a combination of vegetables that are cooked together. Recipes for "vegetable confetti" date to at least 1930.…
Vegucate (vegan/vegetarian + educate); Vegucation
To "vegucate" someone is to educate a person about veganism/vegetarianism. "A Good Vegucation" is the title of a song that was copyrighted in 1997. Paul Dickson's 1998 book…
Velvet Rut (Austin music scene)
The New Yorker publisher Harold Ross once said that his publication was in a "velvet rut" -- making good money, but not doing anything creatively. "Velvet rut" came to be…
VENDEX (Vendor Information Exchange System)
VENDEX (or Vendex) is New York City's Vendor Information Exchange System. It's meant to prevent mob-related city contracts, or influence-peddled city contracts. (Official VENDEX…
Vendy Awards
Street food vendors are finally getting their due with the "Vendy Awards." How about "negative" Vendy Awards for the really bad ones?…
Venice of America (San Antonio nickname)
San Antonio is sometimes called the "Venice of America" (or "Venice of the Texas Plains" or "Venice of the Southwest") because of its beautiful River Walk on the San…
Venice of New York (Broad Channel)
Broad Channel is a tiny island in Jamaica Bay. It's part of Queens County. Broad Channel has acquired the nickname "Venice of New York" for obvious reasons. 25 November 1984, New…
Venison Chili (Deer Chili; Deer Meat Chili)
Deer can be seen in many parts of Texas. Chile con carne is the official dish of Texas, so it's no surprise that deer meat would be added to chili. In 1953, the governor of Texas, Allan…
Venture Capital (Venture Capitalist; Venture Capitalism)
"Venture capital" is risk capital -- money invested in startup companies with high growth potential. The term "venture capital" was used by at least 1935 and was popularized in…
Venture Socialism
Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) talked about President Obama's jobs bill on Fox News’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on September 14, 2011: “I would love to be able to work with the…
Venus of MacDougal Alley (nickname of model Audrey Munson)
MacDougal Alley, in the area of Manhattan's Washington Square North, was the home of many famous sculptors and artists in the early 1900s. Audrey Munson (1891-1996), a popular model, was…
Vermont: Green Mountain State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Green MountainsThe Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately 250…