Iron City, Smoky City, Steel City (Pittsburgh nicknames)

Miss Subways

"Miss Subways" was a beauty contest (actually, talent agencies ran the show and it wasn't much of a "contest") that was featured in the New York subways from 1941-1976. The…

Mission City (San Antonio nickname)

The city of San Antonio was named by Spanish explorers and missionaries who discovered a river of June 13 (the feast day of Saint Anthony) in 1691. The river was named "San Antonio" and…

Missionite (inhabitant of Mission)

"Missionite” is the name of an inhabitant of Mission, Texas. The name “Missionite” has been cited in print since at least 1909. Wikipedia: Mission, TexasMission is a city in Hidalgo…

Mississippi Mud Cake (Mississippi Mud Pie)

Mississippi Mud Cake (or Mississippi Mud Pie) may come from Mississippi -- or it may not. The name "Mississippi Mud" was popularized by a 1927 song of that title. In 1953,…

Mississippi: Tadpole (nickname)

Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksApril 1845, Cincinnati Miscellany (Cincinnati, OH), pg. 240, col. 1:Mississippi, Tadpoles.**This name is especially appropriate, as among a certain class in…

Mitzvah Mobile (Mitzvah Tank)

A "mitzvah mobile" or "mitzvah tank" was started by Brooklyn's Lubavitch sect of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the 1970s. The mobile vans comb the streets for lapsed Jews and try…

Mixed Bathing (Mixed Swimming)

"Mixed bathing" was a term used in England for both sexes swimming together. In the 1890s, various groups wanted to outlaw "mixed bathing." In the 1920s, there was a strong…

Mixed Fries (french fries + sweet potato fries)

"Mixed fries" are usually a combination of french fries and sweet potato fries, although other combinations are sometimes offered. Mixed fries became popular in American restaurants in…

Mixed Grill

A "mixed grill" is a dish of grilled or broiled meats and vegetables. "Mixed grill" is cited from at least 1904, in a London newspaper; the term is often identified as British…

Mixiote

Entry in progress. Penniless lexicographer taking a break -- B.P. Glossary - Mexican food recipes, cooking termsMixiote Thin parchment-like membrane of the maguey, or the dish made by wrapping…

Mixologist

"Mixologist" or "bartender"? Some people say that the terms describe the same person; others say that "mixologist" is merely a fancy name to add an additional few…

Mobilehoma (Oklahoma nickname)

"Mobilehoma" (mobile home + Oklahoma) is an unflattering nickname for the state of Oklahoma, often for Oklahoma University. The nickname is sometimes used at the Oklahoma-Texas football…