Wazzitoyuh (“What’s it to you?”)
The Work Progress Administration's 1938 Almanac for New Yorkers contained a page about New York City speech: "Wazzitooyuh? Delicate rebuff to an excessively curious questioner." The…
Origin of “Canuck” (“Johnny Canuck”)
WD-40 (White Democrat Over 40)
WD-40 is a popular lubricant, often used in Texas. In 2003, some Texas Democrats referred to themselves as the "WD-40s" (White Democrats Over 40). The WD-40 company actually sent the…
We Be Toys (Toys “R” Us nickname)
This joke about the black English dialect (African American Vernacular English) appeared by at least 1986: Heard about the new toy store in Harlem? It's called "We Be Toys." There is…
We Hide Outbreaks (World Health Organization or WHO nickname)
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations concerned with public health. Some critics during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic claimed that WHO was not…
We Need Your Cash (WNYC nickname)
WNYC is New York City's non-profit public radion station. WNYC has had so many fund drives that some have dubbed it "We Need Your Cash." NBC movie critic Gene Shalit used "We…
We Piddle Around (Works Progress Administration or WPA nickname)
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) gave jobs to the unemployed during the Depression. The WPA was nicknamed "We Piddle Around" by at least May 1936. Wikipedia: Works Progress…
We Shoot Straight With You (Gun Barrel City motto)
Gun Barrel City (near Dallas) incorporated in the 1970s and got its name from Gun Barrel Lane (now State Highway 198). The town's motto is: "We Shoot Straight With You." The Gun…
Weakly Standard (Weekly Standard nickname)
The Weekly Standard is a conservative opinion weekly magazine that debuted in September 1995. The obvious nickname of The Weakly Standard was applied to the magazine by at least 1998. Another…
Weatherconomist or Meteoronomist (meteorologist/weatherman + economist)
The financial blog Zero Hedge posted on November 27, 2015: Goldman's Meteoronomists Have A Dire Forecast: "Winter Is Coming" The article popularized "meteoronomist"…
Web Foot State (Oregon nickname)
Oregon has been called the "Web-foot State" because it rains so much in the state, only animals with webbed feet were said to be able to live there. "The land of the…
Webutante Ball (Prom for Tech Nerds)
The Webutante Ball (World Wide Web + debutante) is an annual event that has been held in New York City since 2009. Richard Blakeley, then Editor-in-Chief of Gawker.TV, scheduled the social event…
Wedding Cake of the West Side (The Ansonia)
The Ansonia is a residential building in Manhattan at 2109 Broadway, between West 73rd and West 74th Streets. It originally opened in 1904 as the Ansonia Hotel. According to Women's Wear Daily…
Wedge Issue
A "wedge issue" is a controversial issue that creates a "wedge" between certain voters. A 19th century wedge issue was slavery; a 20th century wedge issue was abortion.…
Wedgie (sandwich)
"Wedgies" are a creation of Fox Pizza Den, a franchise based in Murraysville, PA. "Wedgie" is cited in print since at least 1983; Fox's Pizza Den describes it as "a…
Weed Candy
"Weed candy" is candy that is made with marijuana as an ingredient. The candy is often packaged to look like brand name candy, with just slightly different names. California police gave…
Wefense (we + defense/offense)
"Wefense" (we + defense/offense) was popularized by Rich Bisaccia, the special teams coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002 to 2010. Special teams is neither offense nor defense and…
Wegmaniac (Wegmans + maniac)
Wegmans Food Markets have lots of fans, called "Wegmaniacs" (Wegmans + maniac). The term is most frequently used at the opening of new Wegmans stores, although the company has stated that…
Welcome to New York & New York Hello
"Welcome to New York" (or "New York Hello") can be a sincere greeting or a warning of the horrors to come. The sarcastic version probably comes from the army or the National…
Welfare Queen
A "welfare queen" is a woman who is on public assistance, often fraudulently. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani cut the welfare rolls in the 1990s, dramatically decreasing the "welfare…
Welfare Wednesday (Food Stamp Friday)
"Welfare Wednesday" describes the Wednesday of a month when welfare checks are sent out. The term is mostly used in Canada (especially in the city of Vancouver), but has also been used in…