Bureauweenie (bureaucrat + weenie)
A "bureauweenie" (bureaucrat + weenie) is an unflattering name for a bureaucrat, with "weenie" meaning someone who is weak and unimportant. The term is usually given in plural…
New York City
Burger (from “hamburger”)
"Burger" is a shortened form of "hamburger." Ben Zimmer of the Oxford English Dictionary found the following early citations from Penn State. Penn State Collegian22 July 1926,…
Burger King Kids
An executive at JPMorgan Chase & Company dubbed some of his young new hires "Burger King kids" (after the fast food restaurant), according to the New York (NY) Times of October 13,…
Burma Road (Asian restaurants on 52nd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in September 1948: "There are so many chow mein places on 52nd Street between 6th and 7th now -- the…
Burn the British (toasted English muffin)
"Burn the British!" is old restaurant slang for an order of a toasted English muffin. The slang was recorded in New York Panorama: A Comprehensive View of the Metropolis, Presented in a…
Burnham’s Folly (Flatiron Building)
"Burnham's Folly" is frequently said to be an early nickname of Manhattan's Flatiron Building at 175 Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, completed in 1902. The Flatiron Building was…
Burrito
Entry in progress -- B.P. WIkipedia: BurritoA burrito (IPA: /bəˈriːto/), or taco de harina, is a type of food found in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or…
Bus (slang term for ambulance)
"Bus" is a slang term for "ambulance" that dates to before World War I. (Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Vol. I A-G)bus n.(...)2. an automobile or other…
Bus Festival
The New York Transit Museum hosts an annual "Bus Festival." It's very moving. http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mta/museum/New York Transit Museum12th Annual Bus FestivalCelebrating a Century…
Bus Station of Airports (LaGuardia Airport nickname)
New York City's LaGuardia Airport reminds many people of a bus station (an unflattering comparison). LaGuardia has often been called the "Bus Station of Airports." "Laguardia…
Busboy or Bus Boy (“busing” tables)
The "busboy" (also "bus-boy" and "bus boy") does many tasks at a restaurant, such as cleaning dirty dishes off the table, setting the table, filling diners' water…
Bushwickan (inhabitant of Bushwick, Brooklyn)
"Bushwickan” is the name of an inhabitant of Bushwick, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name “Bushwickan” has been cited in print since at least 2009. "Bushwickan" is…
Bushwicker (inhabitant of Bushwick, Brooklyn)
"Bushwicker” is the name of an inhabitant of Bushwick, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name “Bushwicker” has been cited in print since at least 1929. An inhabitant of Bushwick is also…
Bushwickian (inhabitant of Bushwick, Brooklyn)
"Bushwickian” is the name of an inhabitant of Bushwick, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name “Bushwickian” has been cited in print since at least 1909. An inhabitant of Bushwick is also…
Business Improvement District (BID)
The "Business Imrpovement District" (BID) idea started in the early 1980s and soon sprouted everywhere. Other cities across the country now have them. Area residents agree to an increased…
Buster Brown (United Parcel Service or UPS nickname)
The United Parcel Service (UPS) is a global package delivery company that was founded in 1907. UPS trucks are brown and a company trademark is "What can Brown do for you?" "Buster…
But It’s Not Google (Bing backronym)
Bing is a search engine that was introduced on May 28, 2009; its main competitor was the industry search engine leader, Google. The name "Bing" doesn't stand for anything --…
Butlersburg (Empire City Race Track nickname)
The Empire City Racetrack (now called Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino) was part of the "Big Apple" racing circuit in the 1920s. "Big Apple" was popularized by New York…
Butt Fumble (2012 NY Jets football fumble)
The New York Jets lost to the New England Patriots on November 22, 2012, by the score of 49-19. The lowlight of the game for the Jets came when quarterback Mark Sanchez ran into the rear end of…
Butt-chugging (alcohol enema)
The terms "alcohol enema" and "butt-chugging" were popularized in September 2012 (after an incident at the University of Tennessee) and on Comedy Central's The Daily Show…