Patrolio (NY Fire Patrol)
"Patrolio" is a person in the New York Fire Patrol. The Fire Patrol dates to the early 1800s, but discussions were held in 2006 to disband the organization.…
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores
Patty (Hamburger Patty)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: PattyA patty is a disc-shaped, (round) serving of meat or meat substitutes. The meat is ground and then packed and re-shaped to form round discs, cooked (if…
Paul and Paulette Revere (names for patriots)
Paul Revere (1735-1818) was the patriot in the American Revolution who made the famous "midnight ride" on the night of April 18–19, 1775, just hours before the battles of Lexington and…
Pawnography (chess pawn + pornography)
"Pawnography" (chess pawn + pornography) is a jocular portmanteau word that some chess players have used. Pawnography!! (1973) was the title of a book by Douglas R Long and Bryan M…
Pay Every Penny to Save Israel (false Pepsi etymology)
Pepsi is a cola company that was formed in 1898; the product was named "Pepsi-Cola" in 1903. The name "Pepsi" comes from the digestive enzyme "pepsin." In 2000,…
Pay-and-Display
New York City now has "pay-and-display" parking systems, but they originated in England. (Oxford English Dictionary)pay-and-display Brit., designating, relating to, or operating a system…
Pay-to-Pray (Sunday parking meter regulations)
Parking meter days-in-effect were extended to Sunday. In 2005, critics labeled the policy "pay-to-pray." "Pay-to-pray" had been used in state politics in 2004 in connection with…
Pay-What-You-Want (Pay-As-You-Wish)
The economic slump of 2007-2009 resulted in some restaurants not charging any set fees, but having customers on a "pay-what-you-want" basis. The concept is not new -- Clifton's…
PAYGO or PAYG (pay-as-you-go)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: PAYGOPAYGO (pay-as-you-go) is a term used to refer to financing where budgetary restrictions demand paying for expenditures with funds that are made available…
PayPutz (PayPal nickname)
PayPal is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system. Some critics (who don't think it's much of a "pal") have called the company…
PDX (Portland nickname)
The city of Portland is sometimes called "PDX" after the airport code (cited in print since at least 1948-49) for Portland International Airport. In 1987, Portland State University chose…
Pea-pickin’ Minute (Pea-picking Minute)
"Now wait just a pea-picking minute!” means the same as “Now wait just one damned minute!” There is no exact measure of time "Wait a pea pickin' minute" was printed in The…
Peace Dividend
The term "peace dividend" means the extra money that becomes available to a country with a reduced military budget during peacetime. The term was popularized in May 1968, when people…
Peace Pentagon (339 Lafayette Street)
The "Peace Pentagon" at 339 Lafayette Street (Manhattan) is owned by the AJ Muste Memorial Institute. Many peace activist groups have had offices in the building. AJ Muste Memorial…
Peacemaker (Colt revolver)
"The Peacemaker" was the name of an 1873 Colt revolver. It quickly became the most popular pistol in the west. Although "Peacemaker" is a curious name, "Peacemaker"…
Peacemaker or La Mediatrice (oyster loaf)
New Orleans was famous for its oyster loaf in the 19th century. When husbands came home late in New Orleans, they were sure to bring with them a "peacemaker" or "la mediatrice"…
Peacenik
A "peacenik" is someone who opposes war. The term "peacenik" has one citation in 1958, but was popularized in 1962 and throughout the 1960s. Wiktionary: peacenikEtymologypeace…
Peach Capital of Texas (Parker County nickname)
Parker County was declared the "Peach Capital of Texas" by the Texas Legislature in 1991. Weatherford, the county seat of Parker County, is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.…
Peach Melba (Pêche Melba)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Peach MelbaThe Peach Melba is a classic dessert, invented in 1892 or 1893 by the French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London to honour the…
Peach Puzzle
"Peach Puzzle" was an unknown dessert until 2007, when Lois Schladerman won the grand prize at the Cook's Country recipe contest. Schladerman said that her mother made peach puzzle…