Granville: Colored Slate Capital of the World (nickname)
Granville, New York, has many slate quarries, and the area has been called "Slate Valley." Granville has been nicknamed the "Colored Slate Capital of the World" and the…
Time/Weather
Grape-vine or Grapevine (“I heard it through the grapevine”)
The "grapevine" (or "grape-vine") is an often-secret information network. The "grapevine" information was so unreliable that "grapevine" became synonymous…
Grapefruit League (Grapefruit Circuit, Grapefruit Loop)
Baseball has spring training in Florida (among other places). The spring games have been termed the "grapefruit league" or "grapefruit circuit" or "grapefruit loop."…
Grapeviner (inhabitant of Grapevine)
"Grapeviner” is the name of an inhabitant of Grapevine, Texas. The name “Grapeviner" has been cited in print since at least 1892. Wikipedia: Grapevine, TexasGrapevine is a city in…
Grasp at Good Luck (Chinese dish of shredded chicken with carrots)
"Grasp at Good Luck" is a Chinese-American restaurant dish found on many menus in the section "special health and diet menu." "Grasp at Good Luck ... $7.25 Shredded chicken…
Grasshopper (cocktail)
The Grasshopper cocktail is made with one-third crème de menthe (providing the green color, like the color of a grasshopper), one-third drème de cacao and one-third cream. The cocktail has been…
Grasshopper Pie; Grasshopper Ice Cream Sandwich
The "Grasshopper Cocktail" from 1950 (1/3 creme de menthe, 1/3 creme de cacao, 1/3 cream) helped give birth to the "grasshopper pie." The name comes from the green color, just…
Grassroots
The political use of the term "grassroots" (or "grass roots") means a political campaign from the bottom (the people) up to the top (the top candidate, such as a presidential…
Gravesender (inhabitant of Gravesend, Brooklyn)
"Gravesender” is the name of an inhabitant of Gravesend, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name “Gravesender” has been cited in print since at least 1839. Wikipedia: Gravesend,…
Graveyard Bouquet
A superstition in the theater is, supposedly, that on the closing night of a show, the director and/or leading lady receives a bouquet of flowers stolen from a graveyard. This supposedly brings…
Graveyard Market
A "graveyard market" is the end of a long bear market -- when the stock market seems like a "graveyard." Long-time investors have suffered large losses, but stay in the market…
Graveyard of Champions or Graveyard of Favorites (Saratoga Race Course)
The Saratoga Race Course has the nickname "Graveyard of Champions" or "Graveyard of Favorites." At Saratoga in 1919, Man O'War lost for the first time to Upset in the…
Graveyard Stew (milk toast)
"Graveyard stew" is lunch counter slang for "milk toast" -- something easily eaten by someone who is sick (and, possibly, headed for the graveyard). "A graveyard stew means…
Gravitas
'Gravitas" (Latin for "gravity," or "weight" or "heaviness") is something many people look for in political leaders. It implies a certain seriousness and…
Gravy Train (Gravy Boat)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Merriam-Webster Online DictionaryMain Entry: gravy trainFunction: noun Date: 1914: a much exploited source of easy money; also : gravy 2a (Oxford English…
Gray Knight (Grey Knight)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: White knight (business)In business, a white knight, or "friendly investor" may be a corporation, or a person that intends to help another firm. There…
Gray Lady/Grey Lady; Paper of Record; All the News That’s Fit to Print (New York Times)
The New York Times has many nicknames and slogans. "Gray Lady," "Paper of Record" and "All the News That's Fit to Print" are the most the most popular, and have…
Greaser
"Greaser" is an epithet for a Mexican that was used in the 1840s, during the Mexican-American War. The derisive term still has some currency today. (Historical Dictionary of American…
Greasy Spoon (“dirty spoon” restaurant)
A "greasy spoon" (formerly called a "dirty spoon") is an eating establishment that is unsanitary or one that serves inexpensive and often fried foods to working-class customers.…
Great Accumulation
The term "Great Accumulation" refers to central banks buying foreign exchange reserves. China's central bank, for example, bought large amounts of dollars in the early 2000s, but…