Refusenik
A "refusenik" originally was someone (usually Jewish) was was refused a visa to leave the Soviet Union. The term was based on the Russian "otkaznik" (one who refuses). Soviet…
Education/Schools
Reggae Carifest
The annual "Reggae Carifest" has been held in Forest Hills, Queens and Randall's Island and Coney Island. It's been an annual event since 1998.…
Rego Parker (inhabitant of Rego Park, Queens)
"Rego Parker” is the name of an inhabitant of Rego Park, in the borough of Queens. The name “Rego Parker” has been cited in print since at least 1927. Wikipedia: Rego Park, QueensRego…
Rego Parkistan or Regostan (Rego Park)
Rego Park in Queens has welcomed many immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union in Central Asia. These countries (such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, but usually not including…
Reich-wing (Third Reich + right wing)
"Reich-wing" (also "reich wing" and "reichwing," with or without capitalization) is an epithet from the political left wing directed to the right wing.…
Reindeer Chow (cereal snack)
"Puppy chow" is a snack where Chex or Crispix cereal is coated with melted chocolate and peanut butter, and then dusted with powdered sugar. The name comes from when the Ralston Purina…
Relief Rally
A "relief rally" (or a "sigh-of-relief rally") is when a market picks up after a period of bad or uncertain news. For example, at the end of 2012, the federal government in…
Religitics (religion + politics)
"Religitics" (religion + politics) is when religion and politics combine. The word "religitics" has one citation from 1988, but has been in steady (but infrequent) use since…
Remakequel (remake + prequel/sequel)
A "remakequel" is a story that is essentially a remake of another story, although it claims to be a prequel or a sequel to that original story. A "remakequel" can also be a…
Remax Ballunar Liftoff Festival (Houston)
The annual Ballunar Liftoff Festival began in the mid-1990s in Houston and is one of the country's leading balloon events. http://www.ballunarfestival.com/bhistory.aspBallunar History Who…
Remdeathivir (Remdesivir nickname)
Remdesivir is a product by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences that was approved in November 2020, during the COIVD-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, for the treatment of COVID-19. Many critics…
Rendez-Vous With French Cinema
The annual "Rendez-Vous With French Cinema" at the Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center is a decade old. http://www.filmfestivaltoday.com/dailies_item.asp?ID=661The Film Society of…
Rent-a-Crowd (Rent-a-Mob)
"Rent-a-crowd" (or "rentacrowd") and "rent-a-mob" (or "rentamob") are terms dating from the mid-1960s referring to fake agitation for or against a cause or a…
Renwick Row or English Terrace Row (West 10th Street, Manhattan)
"English Terrace Row" (or "Renwick Row") in Manhattan is located on West 10th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas). The row of houses was…
Repeater
A "repeater" is someone who votes more than once. The term was used frequently in the election of 1867. With electronic voting, it is hoped that the term is now historical. The…
Repeater (a reporter who repeats rather than reports)
A "repeater" is a "reporter" who fails to report, but simply repeats what is told (by a government administration, for example). Reporters who are "repeaters" have…
Replyallcalypse (Reply All + Apocalypse)
The "Replyallcalypse" (Reply All + Apocalypse) occurred in November 2012 when New York University sophomore Max Wiseltier meant to forward an NYU Bursar's office message to his…
Reporterette (female reporter)
A "reporterette" is a female reporter. The term "reporterette" was possibly coined in the book A Yellow Journalist (1905), by Miriam Michelson (a former newspaper reporter).…
Repubican or Repube (Republican party nickname)
"Repubican” is a slang name for the Republican party, used by speakers who believe that the Republicans are as low as the pubic region of the body. The terms “Repubican” and…
Republic of Brooklyn
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has called his borough the "Republic of Brooklyn" since at least 2007, and with increasing use in 2008. Brooklyn is New York City's most…