Limousine Liberal
"Limousine liberal" was Democratic candidate for mayor Mario Procaccino's epithet to then-mayor John Lindsay in the 1969 mayoral election. Lindsay was re-elected. "Limousine…
Time/Weather
Lincoln Log Sandwich (hot dog with cream cheese)
In May 2007, The Sopranos (an Italian-American television drama set in New Jersey) featured a sandwich called "Lincoln Logs" -- split hot dogs filled with cream cheese. It is not known…
Lindy Hop
The "Lindy Hop" is said to have started at the Savoy Ballroom, on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The term "Lindy Hop" came into almost immediate use after Charles Lindbergh's…
Line Waiter (Queuer)
A professional "line waiter" receives money for waiting in line on behalf of someone else. A "line waiter" (who waits in line) is the same as a "queuer" (who waits in…
Linguinistics (linguine + linguistics)
"Linguine" (a type of pasta) is sometimes confused with "linguistics" (the scientific study of language), especially with the portmanteau word "linguinistics."…
Links of the Atlantic Cable (link sausage)
A telegraph cable under the Atlantic Ocean provided the first transatlantic communications in 1858. "Three links of the Atlantic Cable" was used in restaurant slang for an order of…
LINO (Latino In Name Only)
LINO (Latino In Name Only) is a spinoff term from the earlier RINO (Republican In Name Only). "RINO" has been cited in print from at least 1992. "LINO" has been cited in print…
Lion’s Head Meatballs
entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Lion's Head (food)Lion's Head (simplified Chinese: 狮子头; traditional Chinese: 獅子頭; pinyin: Shīzitóu) or stewed meatball is a dish from…
Lipstick Building
The "Lipstick" building, at Third Avenue and East 53rd Street, was completed in 1986, but was given that name by 1985. The name is from the building's shape -- like a lipstick…
Lipstick Index (Lipstick Indicator; Lipstick Theory)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Lipstick indexThe lipstick index is a term coined by Leonard Lauder, chairman of the board of Estee Lauder, used to describe increased sales of cosmetics during…
Liquid Gold (honey nickname)
Many liquids have been called “liquid gold” (that is, something very valuable and desired). Honey has been called “liquid gold” since at least On the Nature of Things by Lucretius (99…
Liquid Gold (maple syrup nickname)
Many liquids have been called "liquid gold" (that is, something very valuable and desired). Maple syrup has been called "liquid gold" since at least 1910 and 1960. Honey has…
Liquid Salad (gazpacho; Bloody Mary)
Gazpacho (sometimes spelled "gaspacho") is a cold vegetable soup from Andalusia in Spain. The dish has been called "liquid salad" since at least 1952. In July 2010, the New York…
Lirus (lie + virus)
The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic resulted in many skeptics, who called it a "lirus" (lie + virus). "Infected with the Lirus? (that's a cross between a lie and a virus)"…
Listicle (list + article)
A "listicle" (list + article) is an article with a list structure, as in "The Top Ten Barbecue Restaurants." The term "listicle" has been cited in print since at least…
Lite Guv or Lite Gov (lieutenant governor)
"Lite guv" (or "lite gov") is an abbreviation for "lieutenant governor." Texas political pundit Molly Ivins (1944-2007) used "lite guv" in many of her…
Litterbug (Litter Bug)
"Litterbug" (also spelled "litter-bug" or "litter bug") is a term that comes from the "jitterbug" era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Many city…
Little Accra (University Heights, Bronx)
University Heights in the Bronx has so many residents from Ghana (in east Africa) that it has been nicknamed "Little Accra" after Accra, the capital and largest city of Ghana.…
Little Afghanistan (Flushing, Queens)
New York City is home to a small Afghan community. Flushing has been called "Little Afghanistan" since at least 1988, although the community numbers only a few thousand. Habibullah…
Little Africa
Several places were called "Little Africa." 8 January 1898, New York Times, pg. 5:Church for Negroes on the West Side.The Rev. P. Butler Thompkins, pastor of St. James's Presbyterian…