Downtowner
An "downtowner" is someone who inhabits the "downtown" section (often, but not always, located to the south) of a geographical area. "Down-towners" was cited in print…
New York City
Dr. Google (Doctor Google)
"Doctor Google" or "Dr. Google" describes when a person uses the internet (especially the search engine Google) to find medical advice. That advice might be helpful, or might be…
Dracula Bites the Big Apple (short film, 1979)
Dracula Bites the Big Apple (1979) is a short film (22 minutes), explained on IMDb as "Dracula travels to New York for a change of scenery." There is a scene at Studio 54 with owner Steve…
Dracula Bites the Big Apple (short film, 1979)
Dracula Bites the Big Apple (1979) is a short film (22 minutes), explained on IMDb as "Dracula travels to New York for a change of scenery." There is a scene at Studio 54 with owner Steve…
Dracula Effect
On the July 28, 2011 edition of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show (Melissa Harris-Perry, guest host), NBC political correspondent Luke Russert explained what Washington, DC called the…
Draftnik
The words "draftnik" and "peacenik" were used in 1965 for those opposed to the Vietnam War and the military draft. In sports, a "draftnik" is one who follows a…
Dragon and Phoenix (Chinese dish of lobster/shrimp and chicken)
"Dragon and Phoenix" is a popular Chinese dish of lobster (representing the dragon) and chicken (representing the phoenix). Shrimp is frequently included instead of lobster. The dish was…
Dragon Turds (bacon-wrapped stuffed habaneros)
Atomic Buffalo Turds (ABTs) (also called "Wolf Turds") are hollowed-out jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese ("Armadillo Eggs") wrapped in bacon, with a smoked sausage added in…
Dreadmill (dread + treadmill)
The treadmill is a popular piece of exercise equipment; those who don't like the treadmill have nicknamed it "dreadmill" (dread + treadmill). "Dreadmill" has been cited in…
Dreidel
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: DreidelA dreidel (Yiddish: דרײדל dreydl plural: dreydlekh, Hebrew: סביבון Sevivon) is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish…
Dressed Resembling A Girl (“drag” backronym)
"Drag" is sometimes given the backronym (back acronym) of "DRess(ed) As a Girl" or "Dressed Resembling A Girl." The Oxford English Dictionary records "drag"…
Drink Every Afternoon (Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA nickname)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was formed in 1973 to combat drug smuggling. The DEA nickname "Drunk Every Afternoon" has been cited in print since at least 1993. "DEA…
Drinking Straw Effect (oil drilling term)
The "drinking straw effect" in oil drilling can occur, for example, in the Gulf of Mexico, where American and Mexican companies both drill. If someone has an extra long "drinking…
Drinksicle (drink + popsicle)
A "drinksicle" (drink + popsicle) is any drink -- alcoholic or non-alcoholic -- frozen into a popsicle. "Drink-sicle" was cited in print in 1959, when it referred to a popsicle…
Drinktator (drink + dictator)
Bars were closed and struggled to survive during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo re-opened New York in stages, ruling that restaurants could open for outdoor dining --…
Drive-By Media (DBM)
"Drive by media" or "drive-by media" (DBM) is an unflattering nickname that conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh applied to the "mainstream media" (MSM) since…
Drive-In
The Pig Stand "drive-in" opened in 1921 in Dallas and soon became a popular restaurant chain. The Pig Stand featured "car hops" who brought meals to customers waiting in their…
Drugs and Thugs (Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs nickname)
The Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) advises the President, Secretary of State, and numerous government departments. The INL nickname…
Drugstore Cowboy
A "drugstore cowboy" was someone who hung around the drugstores, then popular with the soda fountain crowd. The term had long thought to have been coined by New York cartoonist Thomas A.…
Drummer
In the early 1800s, New York City was called the "Commercial Emporium." A "drummer" is a salesman. The term was popular in the 19th century, but is no longer used. A…