Jawbreaker (sandwich)
A "jawbreaker" is a large Italian sandwich that's so big and so stuffed that it could break one's jaw to eat all of it. "Sunday night supper is an especially popular time…
Jazz Brunch
A "jazz brunch" is a brunch (a breakfast/lunch meal usually served between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) that includes jazz music. Commander's Palace made the jazz brunch a tradition in New…
JD (chocolate milk)
"J. D." was soda jerk slang for a chocolate milk. The "J. D." comes from American industrialist John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), who was said to have liked to drink chocolate…
Jelly Bean
The origin of the "jelly bean" (a small bean-shaped sugar candy) is unknown. "Jelly beans" was cited in the Dallas (TX) Morning News on November 21, 1885, and in the Fort Worth…
Jersey Breakfast or Triple Bypass (Taylor Pork Roll, Egg & Cheese)
John Taylor (1836-1909), of Trenton, New Jersey, formed the Taylor Provision Company in 1888, although it's often given that the famous 'Taylor ham" was first made in 1856. The name…
Jersey Italian Gravy
Pasta sauce is sometimes called "gravy." "Jersey Italian Gravy" is a commercial product that was trademarked with a date of first use of August 10, 2011. The founders of the…
Jersey Lightning
"Jersey lightning" is a slang name for strong applejack (originally a product of New Jersey). New Jersey has been known for its applejack since at least the 1700s. The term "Jersey…
Jersey Lightning (cocktail; punch)
"Jersey lightning" is applejack; a "Jersey Lightning Cocktail" is applejack brandy and vermouth. "Jersey lightning" has been cited in print since at least 1843 and the…
Jewish Champagne (Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Soda, seltzer)
"Jewish champagne" is the nickname for both Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Soda/Tonic and for seltzer. "Description of celery tonic: Jewish champagne" was printed in the "On…
Jewish Fruitcake or Jewish Gingerbread (lekach - honey cake)
Honey cake (lekach) has been called both "Jewish gingerbread" and "Jewish fruitcake." The cake is traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. "Lekach"…
Jewish Glitter (the toppings on an everything bagel)
An "everything bagel" has many seeds on it, and this mix has often been called "glitter" (or "Jewish glitter"). "Poppy seeds are the glitter of food" was…
Jewish Penicillin
Chicken soup for the New York soul. (Dictionary of American Regional English)Jewish peniclllin nChicken souo.1968 DARE (Qu. HH30, Things that are nicknamed for different nationalities) Inf NJ30,…
Jewish Rye Bread
"Jewish Rye Bread" refers to rye bread (with caraway seeds) that has been made in many Jewish communities. "Jewish Rye Bread and Pumpernickel at Barr's 317 N. Main" was…
Jianbing (Chinese crepes)
"Jianbing" (or "jian bing") is a breakfast food sometimes called a Chinese crepe. It has eggs and flour, and the crepe (or pancake) is topped with scallions, coriander, baocui…
Jiaozi (Chinese dumpling)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: JiaoziJiaozi (Chinese: 餃子; [tɕjàu.tsɨ]) are a kind of Chinese dumpling, commonly eaten in China and other parts of East Asia. They are one of the major…
Jo Jo Potatoes (JoJo Potatoes)
"Jo Jo potatoes" (or "Jo-Jo potatoes" or "JoJo potatoes" or "JoJos," also lower-case "jojos") are potato wedges. They are large unpeeled wedges of…
Joe Bag of Donuts (Joe Bag o’ Donuts)
"Joe(y) Bag a/o'/of Donuts/Doughnuts" is a name for the average citizen, similar to "Joe Sixpack." "Let some ordinary citizen -- some Joe Bag-a-donuts" was…
Joe Frogger (cookie)
"Joe Froggers" are molasses cookies that are a specialty of Marblehead, Massachusetts. According to the legend, a Revolutionary War patriot named Joseph Brown (called "Uncle…
Joe O’Malley (Irish coffee)
"Joe O'Malley" is sometimes given as the lunch counter slang for "Irish coffee." However, Irish coffee became popular in the late 1940s and 1950s -- at the tail end of the…
Juice Crawl
"Juice crawl" is a juice version of the "pub crawl." The first juice crawl was organized for October 18, 2014 in New York City, with participants visiting the city's juice…