Riviera on the Range (Austin nickname)
Michael Corcoran of the Austin (TX) American-Statesman has called the city of Austin "Riviera on the Range" since 1998. Corcoran covers the film industry in Austin and he was comparing…
New York City
Roach Coach
"Roach coach" is an unfortunate nickname for many taco trucks. In the 1970s, airlines serving Latin America were sometimes called "roach coaches" (a slur against the…
Road Apple
A "horse apple" is horse manure. It's called a "road apple" when it's found in the road. "Road apples, horse dung" was cited in The American Thesaurus of…
Road Pirates (police nickname)
"Road Pirates -- Paid by/with your money to steal your money" is a popular poster. The saying refers to "theft by cop" (civil asset forfeiture), where police stop cars and take…
Road Rage
"Road rage" -- aggressive behavior by the driver of one automobile against one or more other vehicles -- became a popular term about 1987-88. KTLA, a television station in Los Angeles,…
Road Rash
"Road rash" occurs when a person's skin is scraped by pavement, usually as a result of a cycling or skateboarding accident. The term "road rash" has been cited in print…
Roadhouse (Road House)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Roadhouse (facility)In Australia A roadhouse is a service station in a rural area specifically aimed to service passing traffic on a major intercity route. A…
Roads, Rates and Rubbish (local government concerns)
"Roads, rates and rubbish" (also "rates, roads and rubbish") are commonly said to be the three top concerns of local government. The saying is mostly restricted to Australia and…
Roaring Forties
"The Roaring Forties" represents the Times Square area (42nd Street). This appears to have been coined just after the first World War. "The Roaring Forties" is a 19th century…
Roastery
"Coffee roasting" is not new, but the term "roastery" is newly popular. What was once called a "coffeehouse" or a "coffee shop" has often been replaced with…
Rob Roy (cocktail)
In 1894, the opera Rob Roy opened around Herald Square. The old Waldorf Hotel was near Herald Square. It is probably correct that the "Rob Roy" cocktail began at the Waldorf in 1894 or…
Robe-itis
"Robe-itis" (or "black robe-itis") is an affliction suffered by some robed judges. A person can put on a robe and assume a god-like attitude and power, forgetting that he or she…
Robin Hood Plan (property tax)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Robin Hood planThe Robin Hood plan was a media nickname given to legislation enacted by the U.S. state of Texas in 1993 to provide court-mandated equitable…
Robins (Brooklyn baseball team)
The baseball team that would be known as the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) was called the Brooklyn Robins from 1914 to 1931, in honor of its manager, Wilbert Robinson. Wikipedia:…
Robo-Train
The MTA has decided to try automated trains on an experimental basis, with the first one being the little-used L line for 2005. Critics have called it a "robo-train" (from…
Robosigning (Robosigner)
A "robo-signing" scandal made national news on September 22, 2010. Banks had hired "robo-signers" ("robo" for "robot") who signed off on thousands of…
Robot or -bot (Obamabot or O-bot; Paulbot)
The suffix "-bot" (for"robot") is often added after a politician's name to show deluded, robot-like followers. For the 2007-2008 U.S. presidential campaign, followers of…
Rochester: Aqueduct City (nickname)
The city of Rochester, New York, saw its fortunes rise with the 1823 completion of the Genesee River Aqueduct of the Erie Canal. Rochester was called the "Aqueduct City" by at least 1866.…
Rochester: Chicken French
"Chicken French" (also known as "Chicken Française" or "Chicken Francese") is an Italian-American dish of flour breaded, egg-dipped, sautéed chicken with butter and…
Rochester: Flour City (nickname)
An early nickname for Rochester was "Flour City" because of its role in the production and transportation of flour. "Rochester, the great flour city" was cited in an 1847…