Marble Cake
Marble cake (cake with light and dark swirls) has unknown origins. It's first cited in print in an Illinois newspaper of 1859; in 1863, it was mentioned at the Illlinois State Fair, by a woman…
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus
Marble Ceiling
When Nancy Pelosi would become the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives following new Democratic control of the House after the November 2006 elections, she said: "When my…
Marble Row (Fifth Avenue, between 57th and 58th Streets)
"Marble Row" was the row of white marble mansions on Fifth Avenue, between 57th and 58th Streets in Manhattan. Mary Mason Jones, daughter of John Mason (president of the Chemical National…
March Madness (NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship)
"March Madness" (also called the "Big Dance") is the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. The term is usually credited -- incorrectly -- to H. V. Porter (1891-1975), who used…
Mardi Gras City (New Orleans nickname)
The city of New Orleans, Louisiana, has celebrated Mardi Gras since at least the 1830s. "New Orleans, the great Mardi Gras city of old days, held no celebration this year. She is in sackcloth…
Marfa (summary)
The city of Marfa in West Texas had long thought to have been named by a railroad executive's wife after reading a Russian novel. ("Marfa" is Russian for the woman's name…
Marfa Lights
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Marfa lightsThe Marfa lights or the Marfa ghost lights are unexplained lights (known as "ghost lights") usually seen near U.S. Route 67 on Mitchell…
Marfaite (inhabitant of Marfa)
"Marfaite” is the name of an inhabitant of Marfa, Texas. The name “Marfaite” has been cited in print since at least 1910. An inhabitant of Marfa has also been called a “Marfan”…
Marfan (inhabitant of Marfa)
"Marfan” is the name of an inhabitant of Marfa, Texas. The name “Marfan” has been cited in print since at least 1933. "Marfan" is, perhaps, a less than ideal name because it…
Margarita (cocktail)
The "Margarita" (Spanish for "daisy") cocktail is a world-famous tequila-based cocktail, made with Triple Sec (or Cointreau) and lime juice and often served in a salt-rimmed…
Margarita Cheesecake
Margarita cheesecake is a happy blend of the Margarita cocktail and the New York cheesecake. It's not known who invented the dish or where, but Margarita cheesecake was served in Chicago in…
Margarita Chicken (Chicken Margarita)
"Margarita Chicken" or "Chicken Margarita" is another name for "Tequila Chicken" or "Chicken Tequila." Like a Margarita cocktail after which it was named,…
Margarita Monday
"Margarita Monday" is a drinking slang name for a day of the week. Margaritas are served on this day, often at a reduced price. "Margarita Monday" has been cited in print since…
Margarita Pie
The Margarita pie is the edible version of that famous drink, the Margarita cocktail. While the Margarita cocktail may have Texas origins in the 1940s, the Margarita pie origins are unknown. The…
Margin Stanley (Morgan Stanley nickname)
The financial firm of Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in New York City. Morgan Stanley has been nicknamed "Margin Stanley" since at least 2011, when the nickname…
Marguery Sauce (Filet of Sole Marguery)
"Sole Marguery" (or "filet of sole Marguery") was the special dish at Marguery's Paris restaurant in the late 1800s. The Marguery sauce was so prized that "Diamond…
Marinara Sauce
Marinara sauce probably originated at Bucci's, a famous fish place in Rome, Italy. "Fish and 'zuppa alla marinara'" was printed in Italy, Handbook for Travellers: Central…
Mark Green and Audrey Munson (“Civic Fame”)
Mark Green was elected "public advocate" in 1993 and again in 1997. His term limits (two terms) were up and he unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2001, losing to Michael Bloomberg. In the…
Mark Twain (nautical term and name)
The American author Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910) used the pen name "Mark Twain" for the first time in the Territorial Enterprise (Virginia City, NV) on February 3, 1863. He later…
Mark-to-Fiction Accounting (imaginary mark-to-market accounting)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Mark-to-market accountingMark-to-mark or fair value accounting refers to accounting for the fair value of an asset or liability based on the current market…