Yappian Way (Broadway)
"O. Henry" called Broadway the "Yappian Way." It's a pun on Rome's "Appian Way" for the New Yorkers who "yap" (talk excessively). The term has…
1960s: Fun City
Yaptown-on-the-Hudson
"Yaptown" (or "yap town") is a town full of "yaps," or fools. "The theater-goers of Jayville and Yaptown" was cited i print in 1889. Many cities had been…
Yashkin Street (Orchard Street)
Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan has long been known for its discount shopping, leading to the nickname of the "Bargain District." The early 20th-century entrepreneurs…
Yeehaw (Yee-ha; Yee-haw)
"Yeehaw" (or "yeeh-ha" pr "yee-haw") is similar to the yell "yahoo!" It indicates excitement, exuberance, and delight. "Yee-haw!" is imitative of…
Yeehawd (yeehaw + jihad); Yeehawdist (yeehaw + jihadist)
Entry in progress -- B.P. yeehaw Similar terms include "Vanilla ISIS" and Y'all Qaeda." Wikipedia: YeehawYeehaw or Yee-haw is an interjection expressing joy or exuberance and is…
Yellen Call or Yellen Covered Call
The "Yellen call" (also called the "Yellen covered call") is a call option named after Janet Yellen, who became Federal Reserve chairwoman in 2014. KPP Financial wrote in 2016:…
Yellow Blanket on a Dead Cow (cheeseburger)
"Yellow blanket on a dead cow" is sometimes said to be diner slang for a cheeseburger. The "yellow blanket" is cheese, and the "dead cow" is a hamburger. However,…
Yellow Brick Brewery (old Metropolitan Opera House at 39th Street)
The Metropolitan Opera House was located on 1411 Broadway in Manhattan, at 39th Street; it opened in 1883 and was demolished in 1967, after the opening of the new opera house at Lincoln Center in…
Yellow Dog or Yellow Dawg or Yaller Dawg (gold nickname)
Gold is sometimes nicknamed "yellow dog" or "yellow dawg" or "yaller dawg." "Not bad considering everyone was slamming the yellow dawg" was cited in print in…
Yellow Journalism
In the mid-1890s, Joseph Pulitzer's newspaper, the World, published The Yellow Kid. This is sometimes called the first comic in a newspaper. Joseph Pulitzer's and William Randolph…
Yellow Knight
Entry in progress -- B.P. InvestopediaWhat Does Yellow Knight Mean?A company that was once making a takeover attempt but ends up discussing a merger with the target company. The Free…
Yellow Velvet (corn and squash dish)
"Yellow Velvet" (a simple corn and squash dish) is said to be a Shaker recipe from the nineteenth century. Butter, cream, and fresh ground black pepper are usually included in the recipe.…
Yelper (Yelp user); Anti-Yelp (Taste Savant nickname)
Yelp is an online site that reviews businesses and products; Yelp is well known for its restaurant reviews. A Yelp user has been called a "Yelper" since at least July 2007, when Yelp…
Yentervention (Yen + intervention)
"Yentervention" (Yen + Intervention) is when a bank (such as the Bank of Japan) intervenes in the financial markets to support the Yen (Japan's official currency). The intervention…
Yes Man
A "yes-man" (or "yes man") is someone who always agrees with a boss and simply follows orders. The term was popularized by Freeman Tilden (1883-1980), who wrote "The…
Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up (“U.S. Army” backronym, backwards)
"Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up" is a backronym (back acronym) of "U.S. Army," spelled backwards as "YMRASU." "Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up" has been cited…
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Why exactly is this Christmas letter to the old New York Sun so famous? Because people want to believe in Santa Claus? The famed "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter to…
Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle (“Yahoo!” backronym)
Yahoo! is a California-based Internet company that was founded by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994 and was incorporated on March 1, 1995. The word “yahoo” was used in Jonathan…
Yiddish Broadway or Yiddish Rialto (Second Avenue in Manhattan)
The Lower East Side of Manhattan had numerous Yiddish theaters in the early 1900s, but most of them disappeared by the 1940s. The area was called the "Yiddish Rialto" by at least 1908.…
YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard)
"YIMBY" (Yes In My Back Yard) is the opposite of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). YIMBY supports development; NIMBY opposes development. "YIMBY" has been cited in print since at…