Home Run Apple (Shea Stadium & Citi Field, 1980-present)
When a New York Mets baseball player hit a home run at Shea Stadium, a large "apple" located just beyond center field rose from inside a black hat. It was a gimmick that was started in…
Buildings/Housing/Parks
Homo Set
"Homo" (for "homosexual") is/was an LGBTQ nickname, and the term "homo set" was used for the community. "Two 'private' clubs packing in the homo set…
Honest Politician (when bought, stays bought)
In politics, an "honest man" is often described as someone (a politician or a voter) who, when bought, stays bought. A "dishonest man" is someone who sides with the person who…
Honey Do List (“Honey, do this; honey, do that”)
A "honey do list" is a series of commands when a wife says to a husband, "Honey, do this" and "Honey, do that." The "honey-do" joke stems from the popularity…
Honeymoon Salad (lettuce alone and no dressing)
A 'honeymoon salad," as the old joke has it, is "lettuce alone" ("let us alone"). "Honeymoon salad" ("lettuce alone") is cited in print since 1925.…
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
The annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival features a race of the dragon boats. The event has taken place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens since 1991. The 2006 Hong Kong Dragon Boat…
Hong Kong on the Hudson (Hudson Yards)
The Hudson Yards on Manhattan's far west side are train tracks for the MTA's West Side Yard. In the 2000s, just after New York City lost its bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics (that would…
Honku (honk + hailku)
A "honku" (honk + haiku) is a haiku of anti-honking verses. A haiku is a three-line poem of 17 syllables, in phrases of 5 syllables, then 7 syllables, and then 5 syllables. Aaron…
Honky Tonk (not from Tonk pianos)
It's sometimes said that the term "honky tonk" derives from William A. Tonk's pianos that were manufactured in New York. The first cited term for "honky tonk" was the…
Honorary Texan
"Honorary Texan" appears on gift items at many Texas tourist shops. It's often a joke item, bestowed on a person who was (unfortunately for him or her) not born in the state of…
Hoofer (a dancer)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)hoofer n. slang (orig. U.S.) a dancer.1923 N.Y. Times 9 Sept. vii. 2/1 Hoofer, a dancer, also a heel-beater. Chronicling America12 January 1911,…
Hooker
This term is often, incorrectly, "credited" to Civil War General Joseph Hooker and the exploits of his men (1860s) in Washington, D.C. Not that Washington doesn't have hookers, but…
Hoop-and-the-Harm (a basket and a foul shot)
If a basketball player scores a basket, but also gets a foul shot for a three-point play, that player gets "the hoop and the harm" or "the hoop and some harm." "A hoop and…
Hope Bubble
A "hope bubble" is a a philosophy of hope that someone has. "Hope bubble" has been cited in print since at least 2002, but the term became popular since 2008. Barack Obama…
Hope Island (Broadway and West 47th Street, outside Palace Theatre)
New York's Palace Theatre at 1564 Broadway (at West 47th Street) was the biggest vaudeville venue. Performers (often waiting for auditions and calls) could be found on the sidewalk in front of…
Hope Island (Broadway and West 47th Street, outside Palace Theatre)
New York's Palace Theatre at 1564 Broadway (at West 47th Street) was the biggest vaudeville venue. Performers (often waiting for auditions and calls) could be found on the sidewalk in front of…
Hoping your news is good news
ABC-TV's "Eyewitness News" had its glory years in the 1970s, with Roger Grimsby as the anchor. Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" often parodied "Eyewitness…
Hopium (hope + opium)
"Hopium" (hope + opium) has been cited in print since at least 2003 to describe a drug of addicting "hope." Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign used "hope and…
Hopkins County Stew
Hopkins County, Texas created its famous Hopkins County stew sometime about 1900. There are many recipes for it and an annual competition is held. Sulphur Springs News-TelegramHOPKINS COUNTY…
Hoppin’ John or Hopping John (Limping Kate; Limping Susan)
"Hoppin' John" (or "Hopping John") is a popular dish in Charleston, South Carolina, but it's also served throughout the South. The dish consists of black-eyed peas…