Blackbirds (Long Island University teams)
It is not known when or why Long Island University called its sports teams the "Blackbirds," but the nickname had been used since at least 1935. In 2019, the "Blackbirds"…
Blue and White, Cubs, Lions (Columbia teams)
There are the Princeton Tigers and the Harvard Crimson. Columbia's nicknames would have both an animal (lion) and a color (blue and white). "Blue and White" came first, around 1900.…
Bowen’s Rule (Bowen’s Law; Bowen’s Revenue Theory of Cost)
Howard Bowen (1908-1989) wrote about the "revenue theory of cost" in regard to higher education; the theory has been called "Bowen's Law" and "Bowen's Rule"…
Brooklyn-Queens Day
"Brooklyn-Queens Day" is best known simply as a day off school. It originally celebrated the birth of Brooklyn's Sunday School Union in early 1800s. The day was also known as…
Bull Shit (Bachelor of Science or BS backronym)
"B.S." has been used for "bull shit" since at least the 1910s. "B.S." also stands for the "Bachelor of Science" degree. There is no exact date for when the…
C.C.N.Y. (Christian College Now Yiddish)
This nickname for CCNY (City College of New York) doesn't have much circulation now, but is perhaps worth recording. http://www.jewishpress.com/news_article.asp?article=1972(Posted 1-8-2003 -…
Capeesh (Italian for “understand”)
"Capisce" (also spelled "capeesh" or "kapeesh") is Italian for "understand." The slang spellings and pronunciation have long been a part of New York…
Capisce (Italian for “understand”)
"Capisce" (also spelled "capeesh" or "kapeesh") is Italian for "understand." The slang spellings and pronunciation have long been a part of New York…
Charter School
"Charter schools" were started in Minnesota in the early 1990s. They operate independently of the local school system, thus offering much-needed competition. (Oxford English…
Clara-Bortion (Clara Barton High School nickname)
Clara Barton High School, at 901 Classon Avenue in Brooklyn, specializes in the health professions. The Clara Barton High School nickname of "Clara-Bortion" (or "Clar-Abortion"…
Classhole (class + asshole)
A "classhole" (class + asshole) is an annoying person at school. "The jerk of the class!" was a definition in the Urban Dictionary on February 17, 2003. A popular definition was…
Come Late And Start Sleeping (“class” backronym)
"Come Late And Start Sleeping" is a backronym (back-acronym) of the word "class" that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts and posters. "C.L.A.S.S - Come…
Come On Let’s Love Each Girl Equally (“college” backronym)
"Come On Let's Love Each Girl Equally" is a jocular backronym (back-acronym) of the word "college" that has been printed on many images. "Meaning of college is come on…
Communist Core (Communist + Common Core)
The Common Core State Standards Initiative (or "Common Core") is an educational program to teach common standards in United States schools. Critics have claimed that it teaches students…
CUNY (City University of New York)
First there was SUNY ("sue-knee," not "sunny"), the State University of New York. Then came CUNY ("cue-knee," not "cunny"), the City University of New York.…
Department of Exaggeration (Department of Education nickname)
American journalist Wayne Barrett (1945-2017), a columnist for The Village Voice, gave the New York City Department of Education a nickname of "Department of Exaggeration" in three 2009…
Dolphins (College of Staten Island teams)
The College of Staten Island calls its athletic teams the "Dolphins." No one knows why. 20 February 1979, New York Times, pg. C10:And, during the nine games that make up the City…
Dormitory Row
"Dormitory Row" is Third Avenue, between St. Mark's Place and 14th Street. The entire area seems to be owned mostly by New York University. The website "Jossip" has called…
Dumbest Organization Ever (Department of Education nickname)
New York City's WABC talk radio host Curtis Sliwa announced, on March 5, 2018, that the New York City Department of Education (DOE) had a new chancellor. Sliwa, no fan of the DOE, said:…
Easy Pass (school program)
"Easy Pass" is the nickname given to a school program that helps students pass without doing much work. The name "Easy Pass" is similar to the name of the E-ZPass electronic…