Roaring Forties
"The Roaring Forties" represents the Times Square area (42nd Street). This appears to have been coined just after the first World War. "The Roaring Forties" is a 19th century…
Buildings/Housing/Parks
Roastery
"Coffee roasting" is not new, but the term "roastery" is newly popular. What was once called a "coffeehouse" or a "coffee shop" has often been replaced with…
Rob Roy (cocktail)
In 1894, the opera Rob Roy opened around Herald Square. The old Waldorf Hotel was near Herald Square. It is probably correct that the "Rob Roy" cocktail began at the Waldorf in 1894 or…
Robe-itis
"Robe-itis" (or "black robe-itis") is an affliction suffered by some robed judges. A person can put on a robe and assume a god-like attitude and power, forgetting that he or she…
Robin Hood Plan (property tax)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Robin Hood planThe Robin Hood plan was a media nickname given to legislation enacted by the U.S. state of Texas in 1993 to provide court-mandated equitable…
Robins (Brooklyn baseball team)
The baseball team that would be known as the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) was called the Brooklyn Robins from 1914 to 1931, in honor of its manager, Wilbert Robinson. Wikipedia:…
Robo-Train
The MTA has decided to try automated trains on an experimental basis, with the first one being the little-used L line for 2005. Critics have called it a "robo-train" (from…
Robosigning (Robosigner)
A "robo-signing" scandal made national news on September 22, 2010. Banks had hired "robo-signers" ("robo" for "robot") who signed off on thousands of…
Robot or -bot (Obamabot or O-bot; Paulbot)
The suffix "-bot" (for"robot") is often added after a politician's name to show deluded, robot-like followers. For the 2007-2008 U.S. presidential campaign, followers of…
Rochester: Aqueduct City (nickname)
The city of Rochester, New York, saw its fortunes rise with the 1823 completion of the Genesee River Aqueduct of the Erie Canal. Rochester was called the "Aqueduct City" by at least 1866.…
Rochester: Chicken French
"Chicken French" (also known as "Chicken Française" or "Chicken Francese") is an Italian-American dish of flour breaded, egg-dipped, sautéed chicken with butter and…
Rochester: Flour City (nickname)
An early nickname for Rochester was "Flour City" because of its role in the production and transportation of flour. "Rochester, the great flour city" was cited in an 1847…
Rochester: Flower City (nickname)
An early nickname for Rochester was "Flour City" because of its role in the production and transportation of flour. "Rochester, the great flour city" was cited in an 1847…
Rochester: Garbage Plate (or Dumpster Plate)
The "garbage plate" (or "dumpster plate") is a Rochester specialty. Roadfood:The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 500 of the Best Barecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors,…
Rochester: Rottenchester (nickname)
The city of Rochester, in western New York (not Rochester, Minnesota), is sometimes given the unflattering nicknamed of "Rottenchester" (rotten + Rochester). 'Rottenchester" was…
Rochester: White Hots; Pop Opens
Rochester hot dogs are often called "white hots" or "pop opens." 7 August 1933, Zanesville (Ohio) Signal, pg. 5 ad:WHITE-HOTSThis sausage was originated exclusively for Kroger…
Rock Star Economy
A country is said to have a "rock star economy" (or "rockstar economy") when the economy is famously successful, like a rock star. The term "rock star economy" was…
Rock Steady Park or The Goat Courts (Happy Warrior Playground)
Manhattan's "Happy Warrior Playground," at Amsterdam Avenue between 98th and 99th streets, is officially named after New York Governor Al Smith (1873-1944), who was nicknamed…
Rockapulco (Rockaway Beach)
"Rockapulco" (Rockaway + Acapulco) has been a nickname for Rockaway Beach since at least the 1980s. Acapulco is a famous Mexican resort area; in 1964, a The Flinstones cartoon episode had…
Rockefailure (Rockefeller family + failure)
The Rockefeller family is an American industrial, political, and banking family. Some have nicknamed the Rockefeller family as "Rockefailure" (Rockefeller + failure). "PROFILE/John…