Telethon
The first "telethon" was held in New York. The name comes from "telephone" (or "television" or "telecast") and "marathon." Viewers call in with…
Holidays/Events/Parades
Tell-lie-vision
"Tell-lie-vision" (for "television") is a term used by those who believe that the medium -- especially the television network news -- spreads lies. "I was asked if the…
Temple of Capitalism (Jarmulowsky Bank nickname)
The Jarmulowsky Bank Building, at 54 Canal Street in Manhattan, was declared a New York City landmark in 2009. The 12-story building opened in 1912, just after bank founder Sender Jarmulowsky died.…
Tempura
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TempuraTempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅 tenpura, [tẽ̞mpɯᵝɾa]) is a Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and…
Ten Bagger (Tenbagger)
"Ten bagger" (or "tenbagger") is a term coined by Wall Street stock investor Peter Lynch for a stock that's worth ten times its original price. In baseball, a…
Ten Gallon Hat
A "ten gallon hat" cannot hold ten gallons of water. The "gallon" term is said to come from the Spanish word galon, a decorative braid worn on the hat. "Gallon hats"…
Ten O’Clock Number (10 O’Clock Number)
An "11 o'clock number/song" -- also called a "10 o'clock number/song" -- is a showstopper, usually sung by a musical's star as the second-to-last song in the…
Ten-Foot Cop (NYPD Mounted Unit)
The New York Police Department has a mounted unit; such an officer is sometimes called a "ten-foot cop." The term "ten-foot cop" also appears to be used by mounted units of…
Tenderfoot (or Tender Foot)
A "tenderfoot" (or "tender foot") is a "greenhorn" or a "pilgrim" -- someone new to the West, often fresh from the East. The name comes from someone new to…
Tenderloin
The once-seedy heart of New York City was once called the "Tenderloin." Police Captain Alexander Williams allegedly coined the term in the late 1870s, but the earliest citations that I…
Tenement House
The "tenement house" is believed to have started in New York City, on Cherry Street in 1838. "Tenement" is from the Latin tenere (to hold). (Oxford English Dictionary)tenement…
Tenement House in a Shower of Rain (hamburger steak and gravy)
"Tenement house in a shower of rain" was old New York City restaurant slang for "beefsteak and gravy." The term was first cited in an 1888 newspaper, reporting on the strange…
Tennessee: Hog and Hominy State (nickname)
"Hog and hominy" s a classic combination of Southern foods. Several states that produced pigs and corn were "hog and hominy states," but the nickname was most frequently applied…
Tennessee: Lion’s Den State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Daniel in the lions' denThe story of Daniel in the lions' den (chapter 6 in the Book of Daniel) tells how Daniel is raised to high office by his royal…
Tennessee: Mudhead (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)mudhead, n.U.S. colloq. (derogatory). A native of Tennessee. Now rare.1838 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker 2nd Ser. xix. 289 There's the…
Tennessee: Whelp (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 22 March 1866, Louisville (KY) Daily Journal, "Nicknames," pg. 1, col. 4:The natives of these States are:... Tennessee, whelps; ... 7 April 1866, The Daily…
Tennis “Bagel”
A "zero" looks like what? A donut? A bagel? In the 1970s, the American tennis players Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon were called the "Bagel Twins" or the "Bagel…
Tenny Runners (or Tennie Runners)
Tenny (or tennie) runners are tennis shoes. The term is said to be used in Texas, but is also popular in many other states. Dallas SlanguageTenny RunnersA pair of athletic shoes Google Groups:…
Tenther (Tenth Amendment to the Constitution adherent)
The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States…
Teppanyaki
"Teppanyaki" (or "teppan-yaki") is a Japanese cuisine where food (such as steak and shrimp) is cooked in an iron plate ("teppan") in front of diners. The Benihana…