Explosionism (art of explosions)
Drew Lausman of Lakeland, Florida, had his late brother give him firecracker explosives in 2011. Lausman started creating what he termed "explosionism" paintings. A story about…
Floribbean (Florida + Caribbean)
"Floribbean" is "Florida" + "Caribbean." National Airlines advertised "Floribbean" vacations in the 1960s. In the early 1990s, "Floribbean" became…
Florida Glare (fiction genre)
The New Yorker's Critic-at-Large Adam Gopnik wrote "In the Back Cabana: The rise and rise of Florida crime fiction" for the June 10, 2013 issue. Gopnik declared that the L.A. noir…
Florida Ounces (joke about “fl. oz.” or fluid ounces)
The abbreviation "fl. oz." stands for "fluid ounces." A joke has it that some people think this means "Florida ounces." Some people who grew up in Florida actually…
Florida Room
A "Florida room" is a room with lots of sunshine. It can be a screened porch or a room with lots of windows. The term is used in several states, but the Dictionary of American Regional…
Floriduh (Florida + duh)
"Floriduh" (Florida + duh) is an unflattering nickname that was popularized during the U. S. presidential election recount of 2000. The Boston (MA) Herald, on November 10, 2000, ran the…
Fly-up-the-Creek (Florida nickname)
A person from Florida was called a "fly-up-the-creek" in the 19th century. This was originally a name for the green heron that can be found in the state. "Florida, Fly up the…
Fucking Crappy Ass Test (“FCAT” backronym)
The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a standardized test for students in Florida's primary and secondary public schools. The FCAT has been given the backronymic (back acronym)…
God’s Waiting Room
So many retirees moved to Florida that it has been called "God's waiting room. However, it appears that Pasadena, California had this nickname first. 16 March 1953, Times-Bulletin (Van…
Grapefruit League (Grapefruit Circuit, Grapefruit Loop)
Baseball has spring training in Florida (among other places). The spring games have been termed the "grapefruit league" or "grapefruit circuit" or "grapefruit loop."…
Grits and Grunts
"Grits and Grunts" is a famous Florida dish, perhaps not to the liking of all. A "grunt" is a fish that often makes that sound; many people prefer other fish than grunts.…
Gunshine State (gun + Sunshine State)
"Gunshine State" (gun + Sunshine State) is a Florida nickname that has been featured on many gift items, such as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers -- and often illustrated with a…
Hush Puppies
The exact origin and reason for the name "hush puppies" remain a mystery. It's known that "corn dodgers" were eaten all throughout the South. Pinpointing the origin of when…
Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie (forthcoming). (Oxford English Dictionary)Key lime orig. and chiefly U.S. (also with lower-case initial), a variety of lime naturalized in the Florida Keys and distinguished by its…
Little Havana (Miami) & Little Havana on the Hudson (Union City, New Jersey)
"Little Havana" was the name of a brand of cigars, then became the name of a section of Miami (FL), and then also became the name of a section of Union City (NJ). The Union City version…
My-Yam-Me (Miami)
"Miami" is sometimes written and spoken as "My-Yam-Me." This spelling has been cited in print since at least 2002. Wikipedia: MiamiMiami (/maɪˈæmi/), officially the City of…
New York with Palm Trees (Miami nickname)
Miami Beach has had so many visitors and residents from New York City that it was called "New York with palm trees." "Miami, eh? The playground of the rich and the lazy, little old…
Screwdriver (vodka + orange juice cocktail)
The "screwdriver" cocktail (vodka + orange juice) seems a natural for Florida. Early citations show that the screwdriver was popular in 1950s California, but probably originated in the…
Snowbird (northern tourist)
"Snowbird" is the name of a northern tourist who visits Florida to escape the winter. (Oxford English Dictionary)1923 Nation 31 Oct. 487 In winter, when building is at a standstill in the…
SoBe (South Beach)
SoBe is South Beach in Miami. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_BeachSouth Beach (also known as SoBe) is a section of Miami Beach, Florida that encompasses the lower 23 blocks of the island from…