Hurricane Cocktail (Hurricane Punch)
The Hurricane Cocktail is said to have been invented at Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans, a bar that began in 1933. Whiskey had been in short supply during World War II, but rum was readily…
New York City
Hush Puppies
The exact origin and reason for the name "hush puppies" remain a mystery. It's known that "corn dodgers" were eaten all throughout the South. Pinpointing the origin of when…
Hustle Town or Hustletown (Houston nickname)
"Hustle Town" (or "Hustletown") is a nickname for the city of Houston. There was a night club (ca. 2000) called Hustle Town in Houston. The nickname "Hustle Town" is…
Huttoan (inhabitant of Hutto)
"Huttoan” is the name of an inhabitant of Hutto, Texas. The name “Huttoan” (the term used in The Hutto News) has been cited in print since at least 2005. Wikipedia: Hutto, TexasHutto is…
Hydrogin (hydrogen + gin)
"Oxygin" (oxygen + gin) and "hydrogin" (hydrogen + gin) are jocular terms. A now-classic joke was printed in Manners: A Novel by Miss Francis Moore: "Every body learns…
Hylan’s Holes (abandoned, incomplete Staten Island Tunnel)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Staten Island TunnelThe Staten Island Tunnel is an abandoned, incomplete railway/subway tunnel in New York City. It was intended to connect railways on Staten…
Hymietown; Jew York (Jew + New York)
"Jew York" and "Hymietown" are two terms that reflect New York City's large Jewish population. Both terms are usually considered derogatory. The poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972)…
Hyperpalatable
"Hyperpalatable" (and also "hyperpalatability") was coined by American author and administrator David A. Kessler in his book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the…
Hypodermic Needle (Freedom Tower, latest design)
The latest design for the Freedom Tower (the building planned for the World Trade Center area) is said to look like a "hypodermic needle." This replaces the design that was said to look…
Hypotwit (hypocrite + twit/Twitter)
"hypotwit a cross between a hypocrit and a twit, also how small kids miss pronounce the word!" was posted in the Urban Dictionary on March 30, 2005. This was before Twitter.…
I Eta Pi (fictional fraternity)
"Iota Eta Pi" or "I Eta Pi" is a fictional fraternity name made to sound like "I ate a pie." "I. Eta Pi" has been cited in print since at least 1908 and was…
I-95 Primary (Northeast presidential primaries)
The U.S. presidential primaries on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, held in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, were dubbed the “I-95 Primary." Interstate…
I.O.U.S.A. (IOU + USA)
"I.O.U.S.A." (IOU + USA) was printed in an income tax poem by an anonymous author that appeared in several newspapers since 1952: "Income tax is almost due,And this makes me,…
I’d rather be a lamppost in New York than mayor anywhere else
This saying goes way, way back. It has been said in various forms; a friend of mine remembers the boxer Sonny Liston saying that he'd rather be a lamppost in Harlem than mayor of Philadelphia.…
I’ve got a hunch that I don’t have any money left over after paying for college. It’s all intuition”
"Intuition" sounds like "in tuition," and there are jokes. I've got a hunch that I don't have any money left over after paying for college. It's all…
Iatrogenic Government
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) was the United States Senator from New York when he wrote the essay "Iatrogenic Government: Social Policy and Drug Research" for The American Scholar…
ICE (Income, Credit and Equity)
"ICE" is an acronym for "income, credit and equity" -- three things that banks look for before issuing a mortgage or a loan. "ICE" has been cited in print since at…
Ice Cream Cone
The "ice cream cone" was popularized at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. The St. Louis firm of Cornucopia Waffles clearly was the major influence in the development of the ice…
Ice Cream Fruit (cherimoya nickname)
The cherimoya is a fruit of the species Annona cherimola and is commonly found in Peru. as well as other parts of South America and Central America. It has been called the "ice cream…
Ice Cream Sandwich
Several newspaper citations indicate that the "ice cream sandwich" was invented (or at least popularized) about July 1900 in New York City. One newspaper citation mentions Wall Street and…