Pearl (Parks Department squirrel mascot)
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation introduced "Pearl" (a cartoon squirrel) as its mascot in an April 2010 event. There was a contest, but the Parks Department went…
Education/Schools
Pearl Diver (a person who washes dishes)
"Pearl diver" is a nickname for a person who washes dishes -- someone who "dives" for dishes in hot, greasy water. 'Pearl diver" has been cited in print since at least…
Pearl of the Prairie (El Campo nickname)
The term "pearl of the prairie" has been used since at least 1880, when there was a show titled Buffalo Bill at bay or, The pearl of the prairie. According to The Handbook of Texas…
Pecan Capital of the World (San Saba); World’s Largest Pecan (Seguin)
Texas declared the pecan as the official state tree in 1919. Many areas of Texas and Oklahoma have competed for the title of "Pecan Capital." San Saba has been called the "Pecan…
Pecos Bill (legendary superhuman cowboy)
"Pecos Bill" really did exist and was the nickname of William Rufus Shafter (1835-1906), a United States Army officer. The mythical cowboy "Pecos Bill" appeared in 1923, in the…
Pecos Cantaloupe
The Pecos area of West Texas began irrigation and cultivation of the cantaloupe in the early 1900s. By 1913, Pecos cantaloupes were famous for their sweetness and overall flavor. The term…
Pecosin’ (Pecosing) & Pecos Swap
"Pecosin'" is an old-time term that means to kill someone and throw the body into the Pecos River, often with weights so it drowns. Later, the term "Pecosin'" (or the…
Pecosite (inhabitant of Pecos)
"Pecosite” is the name of an inhabitant of Pecos, Texas. The name “Pecosite” has been cited in print since at least 1890. Wikipedia: Pecos, TexasPecos is the largest city in and the…
Pedernales River Chili (LBJ recipe)
Lyndon Baines Johnson of Texas was the 36th President of the United States, but this recipe was published when he was vice president in 1961. Pronounced "Pur-DIN-alice," the Pedernales…
Pedestal Complex (Hall of Fame obsession)
Charles W. Colson (1931-2012) wrote in The Body: Being Light in Darkness (1992): "Today this mentality translates into what we call the pedestal complex; it is rampant throughout the church.…
Pedestrian Manager
A "pedestrian manager" might also be called a "crossing guard." Sam Schwartz Engineering (Sam Schwartz was an assistant commissioner of transportation who helped popularize the…
Pedlock (pedestrian + gridlock)
Pedlock = pedestrian + gridlock. The term "pedlock" followed "gridlock" in the 1980s, but really didn't catch on until the 2000s. 19 May 1986, Newsday (Long Island, NY),…
Peel Noodles or Knife-Cut Noodles or Knife-Sliced Noodles (Dao-xaio-mian)
"Peel noodles" were introduced by the Sheng Wang restaurant on Eldridge Street, and New York's food reviewers in 2006 and 2007 had nothing to compare it to. Also called…
Peking Ravioli (Chinese dumplings)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: JiaoziGuotie (Chinese: 鍋貼; pinyin: guōtiē; literally: "pot stick") is pan-fried jiaozi, also known as potstickers (a direct character…
Pelado
"Pelado" means "to peel." Pelados were the shirtless of Mexico, the underclass. The slang term has been used frequently in parts of Texas, especially along the border.…
Pellizcada (“pinched” tortilla appetizer)
Pellizcada (Spanish for "pinched") is a Mexican appetizer similar to a gordita and a chalupa. Tortillas dough is "pinched" up around the edges to contain a filling, and then…
Penguine or Penguini (penguin pasta)
"Linguine" is a pasta. The continent of Antarctica doesn't have a "penguine" or "penguini" pasta made for (or of) penguins -- and there is no such named pasta…
Penguini or Penguine (penguin pasta)
"Linguine" is a pasta. The continent of Antarctica doesn't have a "penguine" or "penguini" pasta made for (or of) penguins -- and there is no such named pasta…
Penis Motel & “So Close Yet So Far Out” (Austin Motel)
The Austin Motel (in the capital city of Austin, on Congress Avenue) has been family owned and operated since 1938. The motel boasts an original red 1938 neon sign that some see as a "middle…
Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh at the ends, Alabama in between”
American political strategist James Carville ran Democratic campaigns in Pennsylvania in the 1980s. He described the state as mostly rural -- with Philadelphia on one end and Pittsburgh on the…