New York System 〈Providence, RI “hot dogs”〉
"New York System" is the name for a kind of hot dog sold in Providence, Rhode Island. PROVIDENCE (RI) CITY DIRECTORY 1931 Pg. 575, col. 2: Coney Island Hot Weiners (Theodore Kanelos)…
New York Yankee (deli sandwich of corned beef and pastrami)
Jason's Deli (in Texas and many other states) serves a "New York Yankee" sandwich of hot corned beef and pastrami, swiss on rye, with a choice of mustard or mayonnaise. Other delis…
Nicotini (nicotine + martini)
Many restaurants and bars throughout the world have banned smoking to eliminate second-hand smoke. Some enterprising individuals decided to try to put nicotine directly into the food and drinks.…
No pork on my fork
"No pork on my fork" is a phrase associated with the Nation of Islam. It's the name of a Harlem restaurant and it has been used in rap lyrics. Big Daddy Kane is a member of The Five…
Noah’s Boy (ham)
"Ham" of the Bible is Noah's son, and this fact eventually found it's way into restaurant slang. "Noah's boy" became an order of boiled ham. "Noah's…
Nooch (nutritional yeast)
"Nooch" is slang for "nutritional yeast," a popular vegan nutritional supplement and cheese substitute. "Nooch" is cited in print from at least 2005 and was either…
Norvegan (Norwegian + vegan)
"Norvegan" (Norwegian + vegan) is a jocular term. "Q: What do you call a Norwegian that doesn't kill baby seals nor whales? A: A Norvegan! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" was posted on…
Nothing Burger (Nothingburger)
A "nothing burger" (or "nothingburger") is a person who is a non-entity, or an idea that is without merit, or anything that's a lot of nothing. A "nothing burger"…
Nuke (to cook in a microwave oven)
A microwave oven makes some foods so hot so quickly that the microwaving has jokingly been called "nuking." The verb "nuke" meaning "to cook in a microwave oven" has…
Nutcracker and Nemo (sweet liquor punch)
A "nutcracker" is a drink of fruit punch and alcohol; a "nemo" (after the 2003 film Finding Nemo) is a frozen nutcracker. The New York (NY) Daily News wrote about the drinks on…
Nutted Cheese Sandwich
Chock full o'Nuts coffee shops were founded by William Black (1898-1983) in 1926, when he expanded his Times Square cart into a lunch counter. One popular food item at the shops was the…
NYC Subway Hot Sauce
The Metropolitan Transit Authority sells a "NYC Subway Hot Sauce." You can "swipe" it on some ribs.…
O.K. Bolt (tapioca pudding)
"Bolt" was old New York City restaurant slang for "pudding," and "O.K. bolt" meant "tapioca pudding." The terms were cited in an 1888 newspaper, reporting on…
OAMC (Once-A-Month Cooking)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Once-a-month cooking The concept of once-a-month cooking (OAMC) is to spend a set time cooking, be it a day or two, but with an end result of having enough…
Obsessive Coffee Disorder (OCD)
"OCD" usually stands for "obsessive-compulsive disorder." The joke that "OCD" stands for "obsessive coffee disorder" has been cited in print since at least…
Ocean Meat (seafood)
Seafood is infrequently called "ocean meat." "Ate some amazing seafood stew that my wonderful love made earlier this week for lunch. Who knew all this ocean meat could be so…
OJ (orange juice)
"OJ" for "orange juice" is now widely known, but it started as soda jerk slang. "'OJ' is orange juice" was printed in an Associated Press story in February…
Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: OkonomiyakiOkonomiyaki (お好み焼き o-konomi-yaki) is a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word…
Old Maid (unpopped corn kernel)
Unpopped kernels of popcorn has been called "old maids" since at least 1886. "Old bachelors" is a term that has sometimes been used for unpopped kernels, but the "old…
Old World Wine
"Old World wine" has been cited in print since at least 1897 and has meant wine that is imported from Europe. Terms such as "American wine" or "California wine" were…