Spendaholic (spend + -aholic)
'Spendaholic" (spend + -aholic) is someone who has the disease of excess spending, much like an acoholic has with alcohol. The term "spendaholic" has been cited in print since…
1930s: Jazzing the Big Apple
Spexit (Spain/Spanish + exit)
"Spexit” (Spain/Spanish + exit) is a word created to define a possible Spanish exit from the eurozone. "Spexit" has been cited in print since at least May 2012. "Grexit"…
Sphinx of Wall Street
A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a person and the body (usually) of a lion; the famous Egyptian sphinx is known for the "riddle of the sphinx." A person described as a…
Spice Mecca (Kalustyan’s nickname)
Kalustyan’s, located at 123 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, opened in 1944 and has specialized in Indian and Middle Eastern spices and foods. The store was called the "spice mecca in…
Spicedictive (spice + addictive)
Sonic drive-in restaurants introduced spicy chicken sandwiches in October 2013. Sonic's commercials said that the sandwich was "spicedictive" (spice + addictive). Wikipedia: Sonic…
Spillion (oil spill + million gallons/dollars); Spillionaire (oil spill + millionaire)
The March 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska quickly spawned the name "spillionaire" -- a person getting well-paid by Exxon to clean up the spill or getting paid a large settlement as…
Spinach and Artichoke Dip (with tortilla chips)
Both "artichoke dip" and "spinach dip" have been around since the 1960s, but "spinach and artichoke dip" (also "artichoke and spinach dip") took off in the…
Spinach Capital of the World (Crystal City nickname)
Crystal City in Zavala County has been called "Spinach Capital of the World" since at least 1933-34. In 1936, the annual Crystal City Spinach Festival was started. In 1937, Crystal City…
Spine of Texas (Interstate 35)
Interstate 35 (I-35) runs for 407 miles through Texas, going through such cities as San Antonio, Austin, Waco and Dallas. I-35 has been nicknamed the "spine of Texas" since at least the…
Spirit of Communication (Golden Boy)
Want to own a piece of New York City history? Evelyn Beatrice Longman (1874-1854) designed this 1916 statue of "Electricity," or "Spirit of Communication" (nicknamed…
Spit-take
Danny Thomas (of television's Make Room for Daddy, or The Danny Thomas Show, from 1953-1964) is credited for either inventing or popularizing the "spit-take." He would take a drink…
SPK (salt, pepper, ketchup)
"SPK" stands for "salt, pepper and ketchup." The SPK combination is popular at restaurants and delis, where it is served on cheesesteaks and many egg dishes and sandwiches.…
Splash Crash
The term "flash crash" began after the sudden market drop on May 6, 2010. John Bates, the chief technology officer at Progress Software (Bedford, MA), wrote on February 1, 2011 to…
Splash Out of the Garden (vegetable soup)
"Splash Out of the Garden" is lunch room slang for vegetable soup. "Splash out of the garden—bowl of vegetable soup" was printed in the book Hash House Lingo (1941) by Jack…
Splash Play
A "splash play" in football is a play that makes a big splash -- that is, it makes a big impact on the game. A "splash play" might be a quarterback sack, a tackle for a loss, a…
Splashtastic (the winning horse on a wet track)
Tom Durkin, a track announcer for the New York Racing Association from 1990 until his retirement in 2014, called his last race at Saratoga's Spinaway Stakes in August 2014: “Condo Commando…
Spokane (pork and beans)
"Spokane" (a city in the state of Washington) has been used in lunch counter slang for "pork and beans" since at least the 1890s and early 1900s. "The Pork and Beans'…
Spokes-hack (spokesman/spokesperson + hack)
"Spokes-hack" or "spokeshack" (spokesman/spokesperson + hack) is a term used by those who believe that a spokesperson is making nonsensical, overly subservient points. The…
Spokes-idiot (spokesman/spokesperson + idiot)
"Spokes-idiot" or "spokesidiot" (spokesman/spokesperson + idiot) is a term used by those who believe that a spokesperson is making nonsensical points. The…
Spokes-liar (spokesman/spokesperson + liar)
"Spokes-liar" or "spokesliar" (spokesman/spokesperson + liar) is a term used by those who believe that a spokesperson is making nonsensical, overly subservient points. The…