Za (pizza)
"Za" is a clipped form of the word "pizza." The term "za" has been cited in print since the 1960s, but achieved its greatest slang popularity in the 1980s. (Oxford…
1940s-1950s: Assorted Big Apple citations
Zagat (Za-GAT)
Eugene and Nina Zagat started publishing their Zagat Survey of restaurants in the early 1980s. It's since grown to other cities, and it's no longer a survey of only restaurants. A rhyme…
Zagateer
Zagat (pronounced "Za-GAT") began in 1979 by Tim and Nina Zagat as a survey to rate restaurants in New York City; Zagat.com and Zagat guides now rate other business fields, such as…
Zapplesauce
"Zapplesauce" (applesauce fortified with energy producing maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate) was developed by the U.S. Department of the Army as part of a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE). The…
Zebra (420 West 42nd Street)
The building at 420 West 42 Street has stripes, so it's known as the "Zebra" building. "Oreo" is another nickname that has been used for it. http://www.420w42.com/…
Zebra (sports official who wears a black-and-white-striped shirt)
NFL officials' uniforms and NHL officials' uniforms have black-and-white-striped shirts, like a zebra's stripes. The officials wearing such shirts are often nicknamed…
Zeppelin Sandwich (Zep Sandwich)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), Dagwood, garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian,…
Zero (financial industry worker who doesn’t receive an annual bonus)
Many employees on Wall Street expect to see annual bonuses. A December 2010 article in the New York (NY) Times reported on a new club called "the Zeros" -- people who didn't receive…
Zero Hedgie or Zero Head (Zero Hedge blog reader)
Zero Hedge is a popular financial blog that began in 2009. People who read and comment on ZH were given a nickname from the title of the article "The Zero Hedgies," by financial writer…
Zero U (Oklahoma University)
"Zero U" is an unflattering nickname of Oklahoma University (or "OU"). The nickname is most often heard by University of Texas Longhorns fans, especially when UT plays OU at the…
ZeroCred (Zero Hedge nickname)
Zero Hedge is a libertarian financial blog. Some critics have called it "ZeroCred" (zero credibility). "After being dead wrong on the #Euro for a year, @zerohedge wants to tutor us…
Zerok (“fork” with no prong/tine)
"Fork" does not have the number "four" in it, but some people believe that a "fork" with three prongs/tines should be called a "threek." It then follows that…
ZioHedge (Zionism/Zionist + Zero Hedge)
Zero Hedge is a libertarian or right-wing financial blog. Some people consider it pro-Zionism and have called it "ZioHedge" (Zionism/Zionist + Zero Hedge). "More like #Ziohedge"…
Ziomedia (Zionism/Zionist + media)
"Ziomedia" (Zionist/Zionism + media) refers to media -- especially Jewish-owned media -- that support the state of Israel. Other spellings include "ZioMedia" and…
Ziomerica (Zionism + America)
"Ziomerica" (Zionism + America) is a portmanteau word that expresses a belief that the United States is controlled by Zionists (Jews). "Pakistan:tired of being drone bombed by…
Zionist World Order (Zionist + New World Order); ZWO
"Zionist World Order" (ZWO) is a popular term that refers to a totalitarian one-world government. "Zionist World Order" (Zionist + New World Order) refers to a new world order…
Zipper
The "zipper" is that strip of news that goes around the building at 1 Times Square, at 42nd Street and Broadway. The "zipper" has been "down" a few times in its…
ZIRP (Zero Interest Rate Policy)
"ZIRP" (or "Zirp") stands for "Zero Interest Rate Policy." The Bank of Japan used ZIRP in 1999-2000, and the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States used ZIRP in…
ZIRP4EVA (ZIRP + forever)
The term ZIRP (Zero Interest Rate Policy) has been cited in print since at least 2000. but became popular during the financial crisis of 2008. Some financial observers during the crisis speculated…
Zombie (cocktail)
Entry in progress -- B.P. “I said, ‘Make me a Zombie.’ The bartender said, ‘God beat me to it'" is a Rodney Dangerfield joke on the Zombie cocktail. [This entry was prepared with…