Flight to Quality
A "flight to quality" is when investors sell higher-risk investments and purchase lower-risk investments (with lower potential returns). In the past, a "flight to quality" has…
New York City
Flightilla (flight + flotilla)
The word "flightilla" (fly + flotilla) -- also spelled "flytilla" -- was popularized on July 6, 2011, following the failure of the "Freedom Flotilla II" to sail past…
Flightmare (flight + nightmare)
Entry in progress -- BP
Flip Tax
The "flip tax" is also called the "transfer tax." It started in the 1970s, with the co-op apartment boom. People who sold or "flipped" their co-ops would have to pay a…
Flip-Flop (Flip-Flopper)
A politician is called a "flip-flopper" when he or she "flip-flops" (changes position) on an issue. The terms come from the 19th century; an older term is…
Floasted (flavor + toasted)
"Floasted" (flavor + toasted) was popularized in a commercial for Quiznoz sandwich shops in September 2013. Reaction to the commercial and "floasted" became a popular subject on…
Floater Coffee (cream coffee)
A "floater coffee" is coffee with sugar, and with cream floating on top. Liquor may be added, such as Drambuie, Tia Maria, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream, Disaronno,…
Floating Head (Douglas Manor swimmer)
Douglas Manor is part of Douglaston, Queens. The water in Douglas Manor is so dirty that only the heads of swimmers can be seen. Swimmers have been called the "floating heads." Wikipedia:…
Floccinaucinihilipilificationism
"Floccinaucinihilipilification" is one of the longest words in the English language. U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003), from New York, added the suffix "-ism" to…
Floor D’oeuvre (floor + hors d’oeuvre)
"Floor d’oeuvre" (floor + hors d’oeuvre) is a bit of food dropped on the floor, often to be eaten by a dog or a toddler. "#365newwords 106 floor d'oeuvres (noun) : food…
Flopcorn (unpopped corn kernel)
'Flopcorn" is an invented word for the unpopped kernels of popcorn. The word "flopcorn" dates to at least 1990 in a collection of "sniglets," described by…
Floperetta (flop + operetta)
"Floperetta" is a portmanteau of the words "flop" and "operetta." A failed musical is a "floperetta." The term was coined by syndicated gossip columnist…
Floribbean (Florida + Caribbean)
"Floribbean" is "Florida" + "Caribbean." National Airlines advertised "Floribbean" vacations in the 1960s. In the early 1990s, "Floribbean" became…
Florida Glare (fiction genre)
The New Yorker's Critic-at-Large Adam Gopnik wrote "In the Back Cabana: The rise and rise of Florida crime fiction" for the June 10, 2013 issue. Gopnik declared that the L.A. noir…
Florida Ounces (joke about “fl. oz.” or fluid ounces)
The abbreviation "fl. oz." stands for "fluid ounces." A joke has it that some people think this means "Florida ounces." Some people who grew up in Florida actually…
Florida Ounces (joke about “fl. oz.” or fluid ounces)
The abbreviation "fl. oz." stands for "fluid ounces." A joke has it that some people think this means "Florida ounces." Some people who grew up in Florida actually…
Florida Room
A "Florida room" is a room with lots of sunshine. It can be a screened porch or a room with lots of windows. The term is used in several states, but the Dictionary of American Regional…
Floriduh (Florida + duh)
"Floriduh" (Florida + duh) is an unflattering nickname that was popularized during the U. S. presidential election recount of 2000. The Boston (MA) Herald, on November 10, 2000, ran the…
Floss or Flossy (Canarsie, Brooklyn)
Canarsie, Brooklyn, is sometimes called "Floss" or "Flossy." The name comes from the rap song "Brooklyn" (2007) by Fabolous, which contains the lyrics "Canarsie…
FLOTUS (First Lady Of The United States)
"FLOTUS" is an acronym for "First Lady Of The United States." The term "FLOTUS" has been cited in print since at least 1983, when it referred to first lady Nancy…