Saratoga: Queen of American Spas (nickname)
Saratoga Springs, New York, became popular in the 19th century for its natural mineral springs. Saratoga was frequently called the "Queen of the Spas" or "Queen of American…
Buildings/Housing/Parks
Saratoga: Queen of the Spas (nickname)
Saratoga Springs, New York, became popular in the 19th century for its natural mineral springs. Saratoga was frequently called the "Queen of the Spas" or "Queen of American…
Saratoga: Saratoga Potato (Chip)
Saratoga is famous for giving birth to the "potato chip" (or, Saratoga chip) in the early 1850s. I couldn't find anything that early, but below are some interesting citations. 17…
Saratoga: Saratoga Trunk
(Oxford English Dictionary)Saratoga, n.In full Saratoga trunk: a large kind of trunk much used by ladies.1858 N.Y. Tribune 26 July 3/1 The Saratoga Trunk is an article that has been a theme of…
Satan Sandwich
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) called a July 2011 budget deal that he didn't like “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich.” There had been infrequent previous printed citations for "Satan…
Satan’s Circus
Another name for the "Tenderloin" area of Manhattan, just below "Hell's Kitchen," is "Satan's Circus." The term is historical and is not used today, but…
Satan’s Seat
New York City has sometimes been called "Satan's Seat." "The late sensation in New York (where Satan's seat is) has roused us to a fresh conception of his terrific reign…
Saturday Night Liberal (Saturday Night Live or SNL nickname)
Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live television sketch comedy that originated in 1975 and is broadcast from New York City. Many conservatives have argued that SNL has a liberal…
Saturday Night Special
A "Saturday night special" (or "blitzkrieg") is a surprise takeover attempt. In 1975, Colt Industries (manufacturer of guns) attempted what would be a successful takeover of…
Sauce Proposal (Proposal Sauce)
American chef Marc Forgione opened Restaurant Marc Forgione at 134 Reade Street in Manhattan. "Halibut en Croute, Hazelnuts, Sauce Proposal" is a popular dish, and many diners have…
Saudi America (oil-producing areas of the United States)
The name "Saudi America" (Saudi Arabia + United States of America) refers to a United States that is energy independent (and possibly even an energy exporter). Texas had oil in the 20th…
Sauerkraut Bend (King William Street, San Antonio)
King William Street (originally "Kaiserwilhelm Strasse") in San Antonio had so many German immigrants that it was called "Sauerkraut Bend." The "sauerkraut" nickname…
Sausage Sandwich
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksThe True Story of My Life: A SketchBy Hans Christian AndersenTranslated by Mary HowittLondon: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans1847Pp. 37-38:A few women, who…
Savile Row (bespoke tailoring in NoHo/Nolita/West Village)
Savile Row is a shopping street in central London famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. An April 12, 2012 article on the Business Insider website was titled "A Bespoke…
Sawdust Pie
A recipe for "sawdust pie' was published in the May 1983 issue of Bon Appetit, from Patti's 1880's Settlement of Grand Rivers, KY. The pie contains graham cracker crumbs (the…
Sawdust Trail (Sawdust Circuit)
The "sawdust trail" (or "sawdust circuit") refers to the churches that preachers traveled to in the early 1900s. The trail to these tabernacles was usually covered with sawdust,…
Sayre’s Law: Mayors of NY come from nowhere and go nowhere
Rudy Giuliani is going to hate me for this one, but I didn't make it up. Autumn 1977, PS, vol. 10, no. 4, pg. 511:Perhaps this is the time to record publicly two more of Wallace Sayre's…
Sazerac (cocktail)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Sazerac (cocktail)The Sazerac is one of the oldest known cocktails, with its origins in pre-Civil War New Orleans, Louisiana. The original drink is based on a…
Scalpel vs. Machete (budget-cutting techniques)
There are two metaphorical tools that politicians claim to use in cutting a budget -- a scalpel (for small, surgical cuts, causing the least harm) and a machete (for massive cuts). Unless the…
Scamdemic (scam + pandemic)
"Scamdemic" (scam + pandemic) means a fake pandemic. The term was first used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. "Wondering if #swineflu is really a pandemic, or is it a hamdemic or…