White Glove Building
A "white glove building" is a building with a doorman or concierge who wears white gloves. Some people think the term is for an ultraclean building that passes the "white glove…
Education/Schools
White Harlem (Morningside Heights)
"White Harlem" was popularized as a name for Morningside Heights by the comedian George Carlin (1937-2008) in his 1973 comedy album Occupation: Foole. "Harlem" in the name made…
White Knight
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: White knight (business)In business, a white knight, or "friendly investor" may be a corporation, or a person that intends to help another firm. There…
White Light Belt (Broadway)
Broadway is known for its bright lights, and has been called the "Bulb Belt," "Great Bright Way," "Great White Way," "Incandescent District," "Lane of…
White Money
"White money" is legitimately earned (the opposite of "black money") and fully reported for tax purposes. "White money" has been cited in print since at least 2009,…
White Oil (lithium nickname)
Lithium has many commercial uses, such as in batteries. Lithium was nicknamed "white oil" in April 2016 because of its white color and because of its importance to energy (like oil).…
White Pizza
"White pizza" (pizza without tomato sauce) is found at many pizzerias in the New York area, but is not often found in other parts of the country. The Italian "pizza bianca" is a…
White Russian (cocktail)
The "White Russian" cocktail is made from vodka, coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua or Tia Maria), and cream. The "Black Russian" cocktail does not include cream. Heublein, Inc.,…
White Squire
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: White knight (business)In business, a white knight, or "friendly investor" may be a corporation, or a person that intends to help another firm. There…
White Texas Sheet Cake
Texas sheet cake includes cocoa and white Texas sheet cake (or "white sheet cake") does not. The white Texas sheet cake recipe may have originated (or at least was popularized) in The…
White Trash Cake (White Trash Wedding Cake)
A "White Trash Wedding Cake" (or "White Trash Cake") is another name for a dump cake. The blog Culinarily Obsessed, on May 21, 2006, explained "I've renamed it…
Whitemail
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: WhitemailWhitemail, coined as an opposite to blackmail, has several meanings explained below. EconomicsIn economics, whitemail is an anti-takeover arrangement…
Whitestoner (inhabitant of Whitestone, Queens)
"Whitestoner” is the name of an inhabitant of Whitestone, in the borough of Queens. The name “Whitestoner” has been cited in print since at least 1902. "Whitestoner" should not…
Whitey One-Bite (White Castle nickname)
White Castle is a fast food restaurant chain that began in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. The small, square hamburgers have been called "White Castles" and have been nicknamed…
Whitney Biennial
The "Whitney Biennial" is an arts festival that has been held by the Whitney Museum of American Art since 1933. It occurs every two years, with the next scheduled for 2006.…
WHO d’état (WHO + coup d’état)
"WHO d'état" (World Health Organization/WHO + coup d'état) is a portmanteau term used by those who believe that the WHO's medical regulations -- for example, the ability…
Who Owns New York?
"Who Owns New York" is a Columbia University fight song, and it goes like this: Oh, who owns New York?Oh, who owns New York?Oh, who owns New York the people say.Why, we own New York!Yes,…
Who played for Yankees, Knicks and Rangers in the same year?
Eddie Layton, an organist. This trick question became famous when it was crafted into a Trivial Pursuit question. 3 October 1990, New York Times, pg. B1:His name answers a Trivial Pursuit question:…
Whole Foodie (Whole Foods + foodie)
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket specializing in foods that are supposedly healthy, such as organic and locally grown food. "Whole Foodie" (Whole Foods + foodie) is a term to…
Whole Nine Yards (summary; Capt. Richard Stratton’s 1955 attestation)
"The whole nine yards" has been the great American etymological mystery of the second-half of the twentieth century. The expression is similar to many other expressions, such as the…