Built On Self Success (“boss” backronym)
"Built On Self Success" is a backronym (back acronym) of the word "boss" that has been printed on several posters. "B.O.S.S. - Built On Self Success" was cited on…
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores
Bukharan Broadway or Bukharian Broadway (108th Street in Rego Park, Queens)
Queens -- specifically Rego Park and Forest Hills -- is home to many Bukharan Jews from Central Asia, the result of emigration since the 1970s. Rego Park is sometimes given a "-stan"…
Bulb Belt (Broadway)
Broadway's bright lights gave it the nickname "Bulb Belt." "No-bulb belt" (Off-Broadway) was cited in print in 1928. Broadway columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) used…
Bulgogi Burger (Bulgoki Burger)
"Bulgogi" (also spelled "bulgoki" and "pulgogi") is Korean barbecue; the term literally means "fire meat" or "flesh on fire." The meat is barbecued…
Bull Dozers or Bulldozers (similar to Southwestern Eggrolls)
"Bull Dozers" are similar to Chili's popular Southwestern Eggrolls and were developed about the same time in the 1990s. San Antonio's Bullpeppers Olde Town Cafe opened in 1999…
Bull Dyke or Bulldyker (dyke or dike); Bulldyking
"Dyke" (meaning "lesbian") comes from the word "bulldyke." "In American homosexual argot, female inverts, or lesbian lovers, are known euphemistically as…
Bull Market
The terms "bull" (for rising prices) and "bear" (for falling prices) originated in the early 1700s, but the terms "bull market" and "bear market" came much…
Bull Shit (Bachelor of Science or BS backronym)
"B.S." has been used for "bull shit" since at least the 1910s. "B.S." also stands for the "Bachelor of Science" degree. There is no exact date for when the…
Bulldog Edition
"Bulldog edition" is the earliest edition of a Sunday newspaper. It's been recorded from 1906. The Hearst newspapers (such as the New York American and New York Evening Journal,…
Bullet Sandwich
The Quiznos chain of sandwich shops introduced a "bullet" sandwich in July 2009. A "bullet" is smaller than a Quiznos "torpedo" sandwich. An editorial cartoon in 1974…
Bullionaire (bullion + -aire)
A "bullionaire" (bullion + -aire, as in "millionaire" and "billionaire") is someone who holds precious metals, such as gold or silver -- usually in a large amount.…
Bullshit Insider (Business Insider nickname)
Business Insider Inc. (an American online media company) began in 2007; the name was changed to Insider Inc. in December 2017. Some critics of Business Insider have nicknamed it "Bullshit…
Bullshit Labor Statistics (Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS nickname)
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was established as the Bureau of Labor in 1884. Some of the statistics that it compiles include the consumer price index and unemployment rates. Critics of…
Bulltard (bull + retard)
A "bulltard" (bull + retard) is a "bull" (one who believes in rising markets), but is also one who remains bullish despite bearish numbers. The term "bulltard" has…
Bullwinkle District
The 12th Congressional District was called the "Bullwinkle" district in the 1990s because it's drawn like Bullwinkle, the cartoon moose. The name is a play on that old odd animal of…
Bully Pulpit
The term "bully pulpit" was coined by Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), as he was leaving his last term in the White House. The term first appears in a February 27, 1909 Outlook profile of…
Bum Rap (undeserved criminal punishment)
A "bum rap" means an undeserved criminal punishment. "Bum" means something of miserable quality; "rap" means a criminal accusation. "Then another fellow told of…
Bum Steer
A "steer" is a piece of advice (cited from at least 1899, probably from Texas). Not long after that, a "bum steer" came to mean a bad piece of advice. "Bum rap" is a…
Bum Steer Awards (Texas Monthly)
Texas Monthly has an annual issue (since 1974) of "Bum Steer Awards." It's an award Texans don't want to win. A Texas Monthly subscription may be required to views the winners…
Bumbleberry Pie (Bumble Berry Pie)
"Bumbleberry" (or "bumble berry") is a term indicating a mixture of berries; there is a "bumbleberry pie," but other food items have also used the word.…