1960s: Fun City

Telera (Mexican flat bread)

"Telera" (sometimes misspelled "Talera," and often given in plural as "Teleras") is a Mexican bread popularly used for "tortas" (submarine sandwiches). It is…

Telethon

The first "telethon" was held in New York. The name comes from "telephone" (or "television" or "telecast") and "marathon." Viewers call in with…

Tell-lie-vision

"Tell-lie-vision" (for "television") is a term used by those who believe that the medium -- especially the television network news -- spreads lies. "I was asked if the…

Tempura

Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TempuraTempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅 tenpura, [tẽ̞mpɯᵝɾa]) is a Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and…

Ten Gallon Hat

A "ten gallon hat" cannot hold ten gallons of water. The "gallon" term is said to come from the Spanish word galon, a decorative braid worn on the hat. "Gallon hats"…

Ten-Foot Cop (NYPD Mounted Unit)

The New York Police Department has a mounted unit; such an officer is sometimes called a "ten-foot cop." The term "ten-foot cop" also appears to be used by mounted units of…

Tenderfoot (or Tender Foot)

A "tenderfoot" (or "tender foot") is a "greenhorn" or a "pilgrim" -- someone new to the West, often fresh from the East. The name comes from someone new to…

Tenderloin

The once-seedy heart of New York City was once called the "Tenderloin." Police Captain Alexander Williams allegedly coined the term in the late 1870s, but the earliest citations that I…

Tenement House

The "tenement house" is believed to have started in New York City, on Cherry Street in 1838. "Tenement" is from the Latin tenere (to hold). (Oxford English Dictionary)tenement…

Tennessee: Mudhead (nickname)

Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)mudhead, n.U.S. colloq. (derogatory). A native of Tennessee. Now rare.1838 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker 2nd Ser. xix. 289 There's the…

Tennessee: Whelp (nickname)

Entry in progress -- B.P. 22 March 1866, Louisville (KY) Daily Journal, "Nicknames," pg. 1, col. 4:The natives of these States are:... Tennessee, whelps; ... 7 April 1866, The Daily…

Tennis “Bagel”

A "zero" looks like what? A donut? A bagel? In the 1970s, the American tennis players Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon were called the "Bagel Twins" or the "Bagel…