Pennsylvania: “Where do pencils come from?”/“Pencil-vania.”
Do pencils come from Pennsylvania? "Most of the ordinary slate pencils come from Pencil-vania" was printed in the Pittsfield (MA) Sun on December 27, 1876. "Pencils come from…
Time/Weather
Pennsylvania: “Where do pencils come from?”/“Pennsylvania.”
Do pencils come from Pennsylvania? "Most of the ordinary slate pencils come from Pencil-vania" was printed in the Pittsfield (MA) Sun on December 27, 1876. "Pencils come from…
Pennsylvania: Keystone State (nickname)
Pennsylvania has been called the "Keystone State" for several reasons. A keystone is a wedge-shaped stone that holds an arch in place. Pennsylvania was located in the center of the 13…
Penny Lick
A 'penny lick" was a glass of ice cream that sold for a penny. The term was popular in the 1890s, just before the invention of the ice cream cone. It is not known if the "penny…
Penny-Pinching (Penny-Pincher)
A "penny-pincher" is someone who is extremely frugal and who counts every penny. The English dramatist Thomas Dekker (1572-1632) wrote "Hang these penny-pinching fathers" in his…
Pentagram (Pentagon nickname)
The Pentagon is the five-sided building in Arlington, Virginia, that is the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense; the term "Pentagon" is often used metonymically for…
People Eating Tasty Animals (PETA parody/nickname)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an animal rights organization, founded in 1980. In 1996, meat eaters did a PETA parody and registered a web address for "People Eating…
People’s Beach (Jacob Riis Park)
Jacob Riis (1849-1914) was a journalist/photographer famous for his book, How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York (1890). Riis attempted to expose the plight of the poor…
People’s House (Gracie Mansion)
Manhattan's Gracie Mansion, built in 1799, has been the mayor's official residence since Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia moved there in 1942. Mayor Michael Bloomberg declined to live there,…
People’s Microphone or People’s Mic/Mike (using voices for amplified sound)
The September 2011 "Occupy Wall Street" protests didn't have a permit to have amplified sound (such as a bullhorn). Instead, a speaker would speak a few words and the crowd would act…
People’s News Network (Twitter nickname)
Twitter is an online networking serivce for short messages. "Twitter = The People's News Network" was posted on Twitter on May 1, 2011, after it first made news on Twitter that Osama…
People’s Opera (New York City Opera)
The New York City Opera (NYCO) was founded in 1943 and was called the "people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1946). NYCO's purpose was to reach a wide…
People’s Palace (NYPL Stephen A. Schwarzman Building)
The Main Branch of the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building), opened in 1911 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. The…
People’s Republic of Austin (Austin nickname)
Austin is more liberal than the rest of Texas. Austin isn't Communist China, but it's nevertheless acquired the infrequent nickname of "The People's Republic of Austin."…
People’s Republic of Park Slope (Park Slope)
Park Slope, Brooklyn, became gentrified in the 1990s and 2000s, filled with young families that found Manhattan unaffordable. The new residents were mostly liberal/progressive and Park Slope was…
People’s Republic of Portland (Portland nickname)
Many places that are perceived to be liberal have been nicknamed "The People's Republic of ----," in a mocking imitation of The People's Republic of China. The city of Portland…
People’s Roadway (Queensboro Bridge bike and pedestrian path)
"People's Roadway" is the nickname that Transportation Alternatives uses for the Queensboro Bridge's bike and pedestrian path. The Queensboro Bridge has had many lengthy…
PEOTUS (President-Elect Of The United States)
"PEOTUS" is an acronym for "President-Elect Of The United States." "PEOTUS" was posted in the newsgroup alt.culture.alaska, when it referred to George W. Bush. Similar…
Pepperennui (pepper/pepperoni + ennui)
"Pepper-ennui" or "pepperennui" is a pun on "pepperoni." "WELCOME TO PAPA GIO'S VOID! SPIRAL INTO THE RELENTLESS ANGUISH OF PAPA'S WALK-IN SPECIAL: TWO…
Pepperoni Pizza (pizza with pepperoni)
Pepperoni has been a popular pizza topping since at least the 1950s. "PEPPERONI PIZZA PIE" was printed in the Register-Star-News (Sandusky, IL) on January 8, 1953. "Try our delicious…