Longest Street in America (Broadway)
Broadway has sometimes been called "the longest street in America." "And our Great White Way is the brightest spot in the universe. The finest parks in the world are here. And the…
Holidays/Events/Parades
Longhorn (University of Texas nickname)
"Longhorn" is the nickname of the University of Texas (Austin) teams. The term was officially and regularly used in 1906. It had been written that "Longhorns" was used in the…
Longhorn Iced Tea
Longhorn Iced Tea is the Texas version of Long Island Iced Tea. This mix of several different alcoholic drinks includes tequila, rum, vodka and triple sec, plus orange juice, lime juice and…
Longhorn Speech (two points far apart & a lot of bull in between)
A Texas "longhorn speech" has been defined as one with two points far apart and a lot of bull in between. Dr. E. C. Barker, an American history professor at the University of Texas, might…
Longhorns (chocolate, pecan and caramel candies)
"Longhorns" is the trademarked name of the chocolate, pecan and caramel candies by Lammes Candies. Lammes has been around since 1885; Longhorns were trademarked from since 1984.…
Longviewite (inhabitant of Longview)
"Longviewite” is the name of an inhabitant of Longview, Texas. "Longviewer" is a likely Longview name, but this is not used in the Longview (TX) News-Journal. The name…
Loose Hamburger (Loose Burger; Loose Coney; Coney Hamburger; Coney Island Hamburger)
Entry in progress -- B.P. A Coney Island is a type of Greek restaurant popular in the Northern United States, particularly in Detroit, Michigan, as well as the name for the chili dog after which…
Loose-Meat Sandwich
The "loose-meat sandwich" is usually identified with the Maid-Rite restaurant chain (since 1926) in Iowa. However, a "loose meat sandwich" was advertised for sale in a…
Losership (loser + leadership)
"Losership" (loser + leadership) is a term used when someone is critical of the leadership (such as Democratic or Republican political leadership). "Losership" (loser +…
Lost Borough (Yonkers)
The City of New York was consolidated into five boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island) on January 1, 1898. Yonkers is located next to the Bronx and some believe that…
Lost Decade (2000-2009)
The term "lost decade" originally referred to the 1990s Japanese economy that experienced flat growth rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 10,000 in March 1999 and 10,000 again in…
Lotto: “Dollar and a Dream” & “Hey, You Never Know” & “You’ve Gotta Be In It To Win It”
"All you need is a dollar and a dream" and "Hey, you never know" are two successful slogans of Lotto, the New York State lottery. The money from Lotto is supposed to go to New…
Lou Gehrig’s Disease; “Luckiest Man” speech
Lou Gehrig was one of baseball's greatest players. His streak of playing in consecutive games was broken only recently by Cal Ripkin. Gehrig retired from the game because of ALS, but the…
Loud & Tacky (Lord & Taylor nickname)
Lord & Taylor began in New York City in 1826 and is described in the Wikipedia as "the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States." The nickname…
Louisiana: Pelican (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA)The Brown Pelican and Louisiana HistoryThe brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) has a storied…
Lounge Lizards; Tea Hounds; Tango Pirates
"Lounge lizards" and "tea hounds" and "tango pirates" (and "gigolos") infested Broadway about the year 1917. These were men who frequented the tea rooms.…
Lousy Line or Lousy Local (L or LL subway line)
The New York York City subway's L train has had some unflattering nicknames. When the L was called the LL (1967-1985), it was called the Lousy Line" or Lousy Local." When it became…
Lovable Losers (New York Mets; Chicago Cubs)
The New York Mets became a baseball expansion team in the early 1960s and proceeded to lose many, many games. However, New York fans still attended games to cheer them on. "Lovable Losers --…
Love Feast
A "love feast" is a meal eaten by a Christian congregation, as a token of fellowship. A political "love feast" is a gathering to display reconciliation or good feelings; a…
Love Handle (fat at the waist)
"Love handles" are the rolls of fat that one can pinch around one's waist; the fat is less euphemistically called a "tire" or a "muffin top." Many exercise…