Recession Special (reduced-price food)
Gray's Papaya began in 1973 at Broadway and West 72nd Street, offering hot dogs and papaya juice just like the older Papaya King. In the late 1980s or early 1990s, Gray's began offering a…
Education/Schools
Recessipe (recession recipe)
The economic recession of 2008-2009 caused many people to choose simpler, less expensive meals. The word "recessipe" (recession recipe) was popularized in February and March 2009. A blog…
Recon Chip (chip used to take a broken chip out of the dip)
Chips (such as potato chips or tortilla chips) often break in a dip. "#iHate when the chip break in the dip and you send in the recon chip, and it break too!" was posted on Twitter by…
Rectum Rocket (White Castle hamburger nickname)
White Castle's hamburgers have been unofficially called "rectum rockets" since at least 1986 because of what the hamburgers supposedly do to the human digestive system. Other…
Red Apple Supermarket (supermarket chain, 1971-present)
There have been both "Big Apple" and "Red Apple" supermarkets. Sam Alterman opened the "Big Apple" supermarket in 1939 at 794 Marietta Street, N.W., in Atlanta,…
Red Ass
"Red ass" means to show great anger or passion. A Texas A&M Aggie who goes out of the way to show Aggie spirit is another definition of "red ass." Urban DictionaryRed Ass In…
Red Beans and Rice
"Red beans and rice" is an important Creole dish in New Orleans, Louisiana. The term "red beans and rice" was cited in print in The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) on June 13,…
Red Beans and Rice
"Red beans and rice" is an important Creole dish in New Orleans, Louisiana. The term "red beans and rice" was cited in print in The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) on June 13,…
Red Cajun (redneck + Cajun)
ABC Nightline's "People's Platelist" winning chef, Henry Chandler, was born in Saint Maurice, Louisiana. "I'm a red Cajun – little bit of redneck, little bit of…
Red Cent
To have "not one red cent" is to have absolutely no money. The U.S. penny (or "cent") from 1793-1857 was made of reddish copper; the phrase "not worth a copper" was…
Red Diamond (goji berry nickname)
Goji berries (also called wolfberries) have long been popular in China, but were almost unknown in the United States before 2002. The commercially promoted health qualities of goji juice helped to…
Red Diaper Baby (child of Communists)
A "red diaper baby" is a child of Communist parents (and one who presumably inherits their political leanings). Barack Obama was called the "red diaper baby president."…
Red Double Cross; Red Double Crossed (Red Cross + double-cross)
The Red Cross (the American Red Cross in the United States) provides emergency assistance and disaster relief, but many people state that Red Cross donations do not reach disaster victims.…
Red Flannel Hash
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: FlannelRed Flannel Hash is a breakfast hash originally from New England that involves beets. Here is the legend: Suspecting her husband of unfaithfulness a…
Red Grapefruit (State Fruit)
The Texas Red Grapefruit is the official state fruit of Texas, pronounced by the Texas legislature in 1993. A few years later, the Texas legislature would name the city of Weslaco the Citrus…
Red Hook (cocktail)
Red Hook used to be a rough area of Brooklyn filled with longshoremen, but Red Hook is rapidly being gentrified. In 2008, New York City's first IKEA store opened there. The Red Hook cocktail…
Red Hooker (inhabitant of Red Hook, Brooklyn)
"Red Hooker" is the name of an inhabitant of Red Hook, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name "Red Hooker" has been cited in print since at least 1870. "Red Hooker" is…
Red Hots
"Red hots" came into use before the term "hot dogs." Some say that Harry Stevens coined "red hots" at the Polo Grounds in the early 1900s. Like the standard "hot…
Red Ink (cheap red wine)
"Red ink" has been a nickname for "cheap red wine" since at least 1863. The nickname was frequently used in Italian restaurants in America, which were called "red ink…
Red Light District
The origin of the term "red light district" is unknown. The term "red light district" is cited in Lousville in 1896, Denver in 1897, and New York City, Houston and San Antonio…