Shootout (an athletic competition, such as the “Red River Shootout”)
The wild west had many "shoot-outs" (or "shootouts"). From about the 1960s, athletic competitions (mostly football games) began to be called "shootouts." The annual…
Music/Dance/Theatre/Film/Circus
Shop-and-Frisk (shop + stop-and-frisk)
"Stop-and_frisk" is a controversial New York City program that stops and frisks citizens, usually at random; there usually is no specific crime that is being investigated. The…
Shopaholic
A "shopaholic" is someone who loves to shop. The joke word formation implies that a "shopaholic" is addicted, like an "alcoholic." Similar words include…
Shopdropping (reverse shoplifting)
"Shopdropping" (also called "reverse shopping") is when someone adds a product to a store. Although any sale of the product not in a store's computer system generally…
Shopocalypse
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping ChoirReverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir is a radical performance community with an Elvis-like preacher based in New…
Shoppertunity (shopper + opportunity)
"Shoppertunity" (shopper + opportunity) is a term that has been used in many retail store advertisements. "Shopper-tunities" has been cited in print since at least 1939 and…
Shopportunity (shop + opportunity)
"Shopportunity” (shop + opportunity) is a term that has been used in many retail store advertisements. "Shopportunity" has been cited in print since at least 1939 and…
Shore Dinner
Entry in progress. Penniless lexicographer taking a break -- B.P. Wise GeekWhat is a Shore Dinner?A shore dinner is a meal of mixed seafood or freshwater fish, depending on the region. The name is…
Shortseller Enrichment Commission (Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC nickname)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) settled a fraud case in 2018 against business magnate and investor Elon Musk. Musk's automotive and energy company, Tesla, Inc., went down in…
SHOT 97 (HOT 97)
HOT 97 (WQHT radio station, 97.1 FM) calls itself "The Official #1 Station for Hip Hop and R&B." In 2005 and 2006, incidents of gunfire at the station have caused some to nickname the…
Show Me City (Missouri City slogan)
Missouri City (a city in the Texas Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area) got its name in the 1890s, when land was advertised for sale in St. Louis, Missouri. In October 2007, Missouri City…
Showgirl (Show Girl)
Entry in progress -- BP Wikipedia: ShowgirlA showgirl is a female dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show intended to showcase the performer's physical attributes, typically by way…
Showmance (show + romance)
"Showmance" is a portmanteau of the words "show" and "romance." For example, if the two leads of William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet fall in love in real…
Showplace of the Nation (Radio City Music Hall)
"Showplace of the Nation" is the original slogan of Radio City Music Hall, cited from at least January 1933. Wikipedia: Radio City Music HallRadio City Music Hall is an entertainment…
Showrooming
"Showrooming" is when a potential customer examines a product in a brick and mortar retail store, but then purchases that product online -- where it may be cheaper (with a possible…
Showstopper or Show-stopper (“stop the show”)
A Broadway "showstopper" (or "show-stopper") is a performance that generates so much applause that it literally "stops the show." The term was used in vaudeville in…
Shrimp Capital of Texas (Aransas Pass nickname)
Aransas Pass has held an annual "Shrimporee" since 1948 and has called itself the "Shrimp Capital of Texas" (or "Shrimping Capital of Texas") since at least 1961. In…
Shrimp Cocktail or Prawn Cocktail (Shrimp Cocktail Sauce)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Prawn cocktailPrawn cocktail or shrimp cocktail is a seafood dish, which is usually served as a starter. It consists of cooked, peeled, chilled shrimp or…
Shrimp Enchiladas
Enchiladas form a central part of Tex-Mex cuisine. The origin of the "shrimp enchilada" is unknown. The Armadillo World Headquarters (1970-1980) in Austin served up famous shrimp…
Shrimp of the Dirt or Shrimp of the Land (cicadas)
Cicadas (insects) invaded many communities in the United States in 2013. Several news stories involved eating cicadas. Isa Betancourt, entomologist with the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel…