Washington, DC: Hot Tub (nickname)
M. Stanton Evans wrote in the late 1980s about the Reagan Republicans who came to Washington: "Most conservatives know when they come to Washington that it is a sewer; the trouble is, too many…
Education/Schools
Washington, DC: Rome on the Potomac (nickname)
Washington, District of Columbia, is located on the Potomac River. Washington is infrequently nicknamed "Rome on the Potomac," after Rome, Italy, and its ancient empire. In the late…
Washington, DC: Wall Street-Washington Corridor
The term "Wall Street-Washington Corridor" was popularized by the economist Simon Johnson, who used the name in the article "The Quiet Coup" in the May 2009 Atlantic magazine…
Washington, DC: WarPo (Washington Post nickname)
The Washington (DC) Post is a newspaper that has covered events in the nation's capital city -- especially the federal government -- since 1877. The newspaper's name is frequently…
Waste, Fraud and Abuse (“big three”)
Meg Greenfield (1930-1999), a columnist for Newsweek and the Washington (DC) Post, called waste, fraud and abuse "the dread big three" in a July 1993 column. A March 1982 story by the…
Wasted Wednesday
"Wasted Wednesday" is a drinking slang name for a day of the week. "Well Wasted Wednesday" was cited in print in 1991; "Wasted Wednesdays" was cited in 2003. Other…
Wasteway (Westway nickname)
"Westway" was the name of the proposed super-highway project to bury the West Side Highway below 40th Street. The highway was planned in 1969, was long fought-against on environmental…
Wastewood (Westwood High School nickname)
Westwood High School in Williamson County has a good reputation for academics, but also apparently has or had a reputation for student partying. A Westwood High School site on Facebook includes:…
Water Crouton (ice cube)
Ice cubes have sometimes been jocularly called "water croutons." "If you think about it, ice cubes are pretty much just water croutons for your drink. #amirite?" was posted on…
Water Ski Capital of Texas (Lake McQueeney nickname)
Lake McQueeney (near the town of Seguin) is known as the "Water Ski Capital of Texas." The lake hosts water skiing, jet skiing, and wakeboarding. The "Ski Bees" ski club on Lake…
Water Sommelier (Water Steward)
A "sommelier" (or "wine steward") is a trained wine professional; at a fine restaurant, the sommelier can offer help in wine and food pairings. A "water sommelier" (or…
Waterburger (Whataburger nickname/pronunciation)
Whataburger is a chain of fast food restaurants (specializing in the "Whataburger" hamburger) that began in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. People often call "Whataburger" as…
Watergate Cake
Entry in progress -- B.P. Watergate Salad is another food named after the Watergate scandal. Wikipedia: Watergate scandalThe Watergate scandal was a major American political scandal that lasted…
Watergate Salad
Entry in progress -- B.P. Watergate Cake is another food named after the Watergate scandal. Wikipedia: Watergate scandalThe Watergate scandal was a major American political scandal that lasted from…
Watermelon (green on the outside, red on the inside)
Environmentalists are sometimes called by the slang name "watermelon" for being green on the outside and red (communist or anti-capitalist) on the inside. The term "watermelon"…
Watermelon Capital of Texas (Hempstead) & Seedless Watermelon Capital of Texas (Knox County)
Who knew that there would be so much competition for "Watermelon Capital of Texas"? Knox County is officially the "Seedless Watermelon Capital of Texas" by act of the Texas…
Watertown: Snowtown USA (nickname)
Watertown, the county seat of Jefferson County, New York, received so much snow in a 1963 snowstorm that it gained the nickname of "Snowtown." "Watertown Is Actually A Snow…
Wave Election (Tidal Wave Election)
A "tidal wave election" in the United States is when one political party wins a large amount of seats. The first "tidal wave election" was in 1874 and favored the Democrats. The…
Waxahachian (inhabitant of Waxahachie)
"Waxahachian” is the name of an inhabitant of Waxahachie, Texas. The name “Waxahachian” has been cited in print since at least 1887. Wikipedia: Waxahachie, TexasWaxahachie (pronounced…
Waxinate or Waxxinate or Waxxxinate (variant spelling of “vaccinate”)
"Waxinate" or "waxxinate" or waxxinate" are variant spellings of "vaccinate," sometimes for jocular effect and sometimes to get around computer algorithms. The…